To Protect And To Serve
by Fantasyandromancelover
Summary: Natsu Dragneel is abused by his seemingly perfect wife but he's too ashamed to say anything and is fearful for his daughter. Gray Fullbuster and his wife Juvia had their first child stolen and want to reopen the case when she gets pregnant again. When other authorities won't help them it's Detective Jellal Fernandes and his girlfriend District Attorney Erza Scarlet to the rescue.
1. Chapter 1

**I recently started watching Lifetime movies from the 1990's and if you ask me they're a lot better than the newer ones so anyway after watching some of them this idea popped into my head. I wondered what would it be like if Fairy Tail characters were in situations like this plus I think it would be cool to see Jellal and Erza as law enforcers. Enjoy and please no rude comments.**

Gray Fullbuster was happier than he had ever been in his life. He worked as a mechanic and he didn't earn a lot, just enough. He also lived in a very small apartment in a very poor neighborhood but he was married to a beautiful and loving woman who had given him an equally beautiful son. For a whole year he would come home from work to see his wife Juvia holding their son Winter close and singing lullabies to him. He didn't think that there was a single sight more beautiful than that.

"I'm home." He said walking through the door.

"Hello dear, how was work?" She greeted.

"A real pain in the ass as usual."

"Gray what have I told you about cursing in front of Winter?"

"He's a baby honey, he doesn't understand what we're saying."

"He's a year old and that's usually when babies learn to talk. I want his first words to be Mama or Dada not an alternative yet inappropriate word for donkey."

*Whistle!*

"Oh my goodness I forgot about the tea I was making." Juvia realized.

"Here I'll take him." Gray said.

Juvia placed Winter in Gray's lap and went to the kitchen to get the tea kettle off the stove. Gray gave his son his most loving smile.

"And how's my boy huh? Has Mommy driven you crazy with all her hugs and kisses yet?"

The one year old just looked at him and grabbed hold of his nose with his tiny hand. Gray chuckled.

"Hey Daddy got you a little something on his way home from work."

He pulled a fluffy, stuffed penguin and held it up to him. Little Winter took the toy penguin from him and started to study it with curiosity.

"Winter you're only one but I already know you're gonna do me proud. I can't wait to teach you how to ride a bike and how to play catch."

"You know I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up to look just like you." Juvia said walking into the living room with a cup of tea.

"I don't know he has your eyes."

"But he has your smile."

"What smile? He never smiles."

"He smiles at me all the time especially when I sing to him. He's a music lover you know."

Ring-ring!

"I'll get it."

Juvia went to answer the phone.

"It's Natsu."

"Okay."

Gray handed Winter to his wife and talked on the phone with his best and oldest friend Natsu Dragneel.

"Natsu you didn't...Well of course she dumped you! God you're an idiot! I told you not to do it!...No I will not...No don't beg...Okay, okay I'll be right over."

He hung up.

"What happened?" Juvia asked.

"Natsu cheated on Lucy with some other girl, she found out, and she dumped him. Now he's going to the local pub to get drunk and he wants me to be the sober guy who drives him home."

"Oh dear." She said. "I thought they were the perfect couple."

"I told him not to do it but he never listens to me. Anyway are you okay with me going down there to get him?"

"Sure. Just don't drink and drive."

"I won't. I'll be back at eight." He kissed his wife and his son. "Bye Juvia, bye Winter."

"Bye Gray. Say bye-bye to Daddy, Winter."

She took his tiny hand and made it wave at her husband. Gray gave his wife and child one last smile before leaving the apartment but he forgot to lock the door.

"Well Winter, Mommy is going to take a bath and you are going to take a little nap."

She laid him in his crib and covered him with the blue blanket she had sewed for him which had snowflakes embroidered on it. After that she went to the bathroom and started a bath for herself. She had just undressed and sat down in the warm, bubbling water when she heard Winter crying.

"Oh Winter." She sighed. She had just fed and changed him, and he tended to be very clingy sometimes so she assumed that he was fussing for attention. "Mommy's coming Winter. Mommy's coming."

The crying continued and so Juvia got out of the bath. She had just slipped on her robe and slippers when suddenly the crying stopped. Confused, she went into the other room to check up on Winter only to find an empty crib.

"Winter!"

She looked over in the crib and around the room, her eyes desperately seeking out her son. She was then horrified to see that the door to their apartment was wide open.

"Oh my God! Help! Somebody please!" She screamed. "Somebody stole my baby! Gray!"

Juvia called the police and then she called Gray. He raced back as soon as he heard the news. He asked a policeman to go pick up Natsu.

"We have reason to believe that someone has sneaked into your apartment and taken your child." The policeman interviewing them said.

"No shit Sherlock!" Gray shouted angrily.

"You have to find my baby!" Juvia sobbed. "You have to find him!"

"Ma'am I can assure you that I have my best men searching for your son."

"The cameras! Our building has video cameras! They gotta have something!" Gray said.

"According to your landlord the cameras were down due to a shortage."

"What?! No way! No way man!"

"Sir I need you to calm down."

"Calm down? Don't tell me to calm down damnit! My son is missing! I should be looking for him not talking to you!"

The police searched and so did Gray and Juvia. They even got their friends to look but they found no trace of their son. After a year had passed the search was called off. Gray furiously made demands that the police continue searching, poor Juvia cried herself to sleep every night, they were both inconsolable and heartbroken.


	2. Chapter 2

Seven years later...

Natsu Dragneel smiled as he watched his seven year old daughter Nashi run to him from the school yard. He picked her up into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"What are you doing here Daddy?" She asked.

"Well I heard that you passed your spelling test and it's Friday so I thought that I would pick you up from school early and give you a little reward."

"But I only got a B."

"So?"

"So Mommy says that a B is not good enough."

"Well your mother is a bit of an over achiever. Now how does an ice cream sundae sound?"

"Ice cream!"

He took her to the ice cream parlor.

"Now what do you want on your sundae?" He asked her as they waited in line. "hot fudge? peanuts? Whip cream? Cherries? Or all of the above?"

"All of the above!"

"Why am I not surprised?"

With a smile he went up to order the sundae and later he watched her devour it with glee. There was no one in the whole world who Natsu loved more than his daughter Nashi. Seven years earlier, Natsu had gotten really drunk at a party and slept with with a waitress called Touka. When his long time girlfriend Lucy found out she dumped him for good and later he found out that he had gotten Touka pregnant. She had pressured him into marrying her and he wasn't sure if he had made the right decision but all doubt completely vanished the minute he laid eyes on his daughter for the first time. The day she was born had been the happiest day of his life. She was everything to him. His number one priority, there never was a father who loved his daughter more than Natsu loved Nashi.

"Did you like it?" He asked her.

"I loved it." She had chocolate and cream smeared all over her face.

"I better clean you up before we go home. You know how upset your mother gets when you come home dirty."

After wiping her face clean with some napkins he took her home where they were greeted by his wife. She gave him her best smile and went to hug them. At first glance Touka Dragneel was the perfect wife and mother. Always attentive, sweet, charming, a good cook, polite, just perfect.

"Hello Natsu." Touka kissed her husband's cheek.

"Hi Touka."

"Did you have a good day at work?"

"Yeah."

"Hi Mommy." Nashi said to her mother.

"Hi Nashi. How was school?" She asked.

"It was pretty boring but Daddy took me out for ice cream."

"Did he now?" She gave Nashi a kiss on the cheek. "Nashi could you go to your room for a moment?"

"Why?"

"I need to talk to your father."

"Okay."

She went upstairs to her bedroom leaving her parents alone.

"You took her out for ice cream?" She asked her husband.

"Well I...I just thought she deserved a little treat for passing her spelling test." Natsu said. "She worked real hard."

"Not hard enough. She got a B."

"So? A, B is pretty good."

"She could do better."

"She's only seven. She has trouble with big words, I was the same way when I was her age."

"I don't appreciate you rewarding you for her failures."

"Failures? She didn't fail. Don't you think you're being a little too hard on her?"

"I just want her to amount to something great but apparently you want her to be a slacker like you."

"That's not true and I'm not a slacker. I work very hard at the construction sight."

"Why do you work there? They don't pay you enough."

"They pay me just fine and I like working there."

"Whatever." She pulled a bottle of wine out and poured herself a glass. "So listen they've opened up this new fancy restaurant downtown and I was wondering if you would like to go there for dinner tomorrow."

"Let's do it Sunday, I gotta go with Gray to the pub tomorrow night."

"Why?"

"Well his son's eighth birthday is coming up and you know how he gets around his birthday. He needs a sober friend to drive him home."

"You mean they still haven't gotten over that already? It's been seven years."

"Touka it's their baby. He was taken from them and the police barely did anything to help them."

"Isn't Juvia pregnant again?"

"Yes but just because they're having another baby doesn't mean they're going to act like their first one never existed. What if someone had taken Nashi from us? Could you just get over her or have another baby and act like we never had her to begin with?"

"Of course not but how long can people grieve? And why do you always have to be there for him?"

"Because he's my best friend and he's always been there for me. Whenever I was sad and wanted to drink away my sorrows he was always there, him and his wife and...And a part of me feels like if I hadn't of begged him to come pick me up when Lucy dumped me then maybe his kid wouldn't have been taken in the first place."

"So you're still thinking about Lucy?" She accused angrily.

"What? No! What I just said has nothing to do with her."

"You mentioned her name."

"So? I haven't seen her since we broke up seven years ago. This isn't about Lucy, this about me comforting my best friend. You know how much my friends mean to me."

"Yeah and apparently they're more important to you than I am."

"That's not true."

"Then how come you never want to do what I want?"

"I said that we could go out Sunday. You're overreacting."

"I'm not overreacting!"

She then punched Natsu across the face.

"Oh my God Natsu I'm so sorry." she said looking utterly horrified by what she had done.

" Geez honey why did you have to go and do that?" Natsu said clutching his jaw.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to I just...I just get so angry sometimes. I...I'm sorry. Do you need some ice?"

"No. No I'm good. Wow you really nailed me there."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"You know I didn't mean it right?"

"I know. Listen can't we just go out Sunday?"

"Sure. You're right, Gray needs you. Give him and Juvia my regards."

"I will."

Natsu was surprised. In all the years he had known Touka, she had never hit him before. Never. What had gotten into her? She had always been high strung and she had a temper but he never thought that she could be violent. After awhile he convinced himself that this was just a one time mistake and that it would never happen again but he was wrong. Very wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

Gray had gotten a job working as an artist and had become very successful. In fact he was the best in all of Magnolia. After selling a few paintings to wealthy art collectors he was able to buy a nice house for him and Juvia to live in. It had three bedrooms, one for him and his wife, one that was going to be turned into a nursery for their new baby, and one that was Winter's room. They had set up a bedroom for Winter and every Birthday and Christmas they would buy a present for their son and leave it there for him to have when he came back.

Things weren't as bad as they were when they lost him and it started to get better when Juvia got pregnant again but they were still hurting and they felt guilty too, blaming themselves for what had happened.

"So what did the doctor say?" He asked his wife when she came back from her doctor's appointment.

"It's a girl." She said smiling.

"I guess Gray Jr is out of the question huh?"

"I'm afraid so darling."

"Well at least we know how to decorate the nursery now. You wanna go out and celebrate?"

"Gray you know I can't drink."

"Who said we that we were going to drink? I was thinking that maybe we could just go out and eat cake."

"Yeah just what I need more fat. Maybe some other time, I have to grade papers tonight."

"Okay, listen I'm going to meet with Natsu. You okay with that?"

"Are you going to drink?"

"Possibly."

"Is somebody sober going to drive you home?"

"Yes."

"Then I don't mind. See you tonight."

She kissed him and went upstairs to grade papers. She worked as a school teacher at Magnolia Elementary School, the kids loved her and she loved them. Parents were always saying that she had a natural way with kids. Working as a teacher had helped her as she grieved over her son's loss.

Gray closed the door and locked it tight then drove over to Natsu's house. He knocked on the door which was answered by Nashi.

"Hi Uncle Gray." She greeted with a smile.

"Hi sweetheart, where's your daddy?"

"He's getting ready right now. He should be down in a minute."

"Okay, I heard you passed your spelling test. Your Auntie Juvia and I are very proud of you. Oh hang on and I think I have something in my pocket."

He pulled out a stuffed bunny rabbit with a ribbon tied around it's neck.

"Oh he's so cute. Is he for me?"

"Yep."

"Oh thank you Uncle Gray."

She hugged the stuffed rabbit close and kissed it. Another thing that helped him and Juvia heal was helping Natsu take care of his daughter. They always jumped at the opportunity to babysit her and sometimes they would spoil her but she wasn't a brat or anything close to one.

"Daddy look what Uncle Gray gave me." She said excitedly when Natsu came downstairs.

"Oh that's nice. Did you say thank you?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's my girl. Now go upstairs and play with your new friend."

She did just that leaving Natsu alone with his friend.

"How are you holding up?" Natsu asked him.

"Better. I don't drink as much as I used to."

"What about Juvia?"

"She's been smiling at lot more, she still has nightmares but I'm sure once the baby gets here we'll be completely healed."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Gray smiled at his oldest friend but then gave a look of confusion when he noticed the huge bruise on the side of Natsu's jaw.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your jaw. It looks like somebody took a swing at you."

"Oh...I just tripped over one of Nashi's toys and fell down stairs."

"Ouch. I better keep an eye out for toys when my baby gets here."

They got into Natsu's car and drove to the pub to have a few drinks.

"So how's the art business treating you?" Natsu asked Gray.

"Pretty good. I just sold one painting to an art museum and I'm gonna use the money to get Juvia a surprise."

"What kind?"

"I don't know but something good."

"Man I can't believe how devoted you are to her. When you two first met you didn't want anything to do with her."

"Time changes." Gray went quiet for a moment.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"I didn't know if I should tell you this but...I don't really see the harm now."

"What?"

"Juvia ran into Lucy at the market yesterday."

"Lucy? Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Yep."

"Oh...I haven't seen or heard her from her since we broke up. I wonder how she's doing?"

"Juvia said that she was doing fine. You know I have to ask...Why did you cheat on her all those years ago?"

"I don't know Gray. I was young and stupid and drunk. We all did dumb things when we were younger."

"That's for sure. How do you think Juvia and I ended up with Winter?"

The two men laughed and took a few sips of beer. They didn't drink so much to where they got drunk but to be on the safe side they took a taxi home. It was real late when Gray got back to the house. The lights were off which meant Juvia had gone to bed. He decided to watch a little TV before going to sleep. He had just sat down and turned on the TV when suddenly he heard Juvia screaming.

"My baby! My baby! My baby!" She was having another nightmare about losing Winter. Gray jumped from the chair and ran upstairs to his bedroom where his wife was tossing and turning in bed screaming "My baby! My baby! My baby!"

"Juvia wake up! Honey wake up it's me!"

As soon as she opened her blue eyes and woke up she started crying. Gray put his arms around his wife and held her as she cried.

"It's okay Juvia. It's okay." He soothed her.

Juvia's hands went to clutch her belly.

"We can't lose this one Gary! We just can't!"

"We won't."

"I find it hard enough to recover from the first time we lost our child, if it happened a second time I don't think I could survive!"

"Hey we're not going to lose this one okay? Nobody's going to take her away from us. Not this time."

"Why Gray? Why did someone take him? Why? What did we do to deserve to lose our baby? Was I a horrible mother? Was I too young? Did I not care enough?"

"No. Listen you didn't do anything to deserve what happened to us."

"Oh Gray I'm so afraid."

"Shhh... It's alright, it's alright."


	4. Chapter 4

The next day Natsu took Nashi to the park. They had a playground that she loved to play on all the time. Climbing the monkey bars, going down the slides, and swinging on the swings, to her it was the most fun thing in the world. Her laughter was music to her father's ears and her smiling face was the most beautiful sight in the world.

"Watch me Daddy! Look at how high I'm going!" She cried excitedly as she swung.

"You're like a bird sweetie." He said.

"Look Daddy a doggy!"

Nashi pointed over to a little white dog.

"Hey buddy where did you come from?" Natsu asked as he reached out to pet the dog.

"He's so cute. Can we keep him Daddy?" Nashi asked.

"I'm sorry honey but he has a collar which means that he belongs to someone."

"Oh...I want a pet Daddy, can I have one?"

"I'll have to talk to your mother about it. Right now let's see if we can get this the dog back to his rightful owner."

"Plue? Plue! Plue where are you?"

A woman was calling out a name. The dog barked excitedly and ran to his mistress. She was a pretty blonde who was around the same age as Natsu.

"Oh Plue there you are. You had me worried." She hugged the dog close to her.

"Is this your dog?" Natsu asked her.

"Yes. Thank you so much for finding him. I swear the minute I turn my back, he runs off to God knows where. He can be such a handful."

"If he's too much trouble we can take him." Nashi said.

The blonde giggled.

"Well as tempting as that offer is I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to say no. Plue is difficult but I love him too much to give him away."

The young woman smiled at Nashi and then at Natsu. When she got a good look at his face her smile faded.

"Natsu? Natsu Dragneel?"

"Do I know you?" He asked her.

The minute he saw those dazzling brown eyes, recognition hit him like ton of bricks. This woman was his ex girlfriend Lucy.

"Lucy?"

"Yeah."

"Wow I...I uh...I didn't expect to see you here."

"Daddy who is this lady?" Nashi asked.

"She's old friend of mine. Listen Nashi why don't you go play with Plue while I talk with Lucy? That is if you don't mind Lucy."

"No not at all." She said.

"Okay, come on Plue."

Nashi ran toward the playground with Plue chasing after her. For awhile Natsu and Lucy just stood there, looking at each other without speaking a single word. Finally Natsu decided to break the ice.

"So...You look good."

"Thanks. So do you."

"Really? I was worried that I had put on a couple pounds over the years."

"Still a big eater?"

"Not as much as I used to be."

"Is that little girl you're daughter?"

"Yeah her name is Nashi."

"She's beautiful."

"Thank you. Do you have any kids?"

"No. Not yet but I'm hoping to be a mother someday."

"Are you married?"

"No what about you?"

"I am."

"Oh who is she?"

"Remember that waitress I slept with?"

"You mean the one you cheated on me with?" She said with irritation in her brown eyes.

"Yeah listen I'm really sorry about that Lucy. Really I am. What I did was stupid and dumb and I've always regretted it."

"It's okay I've long forgiven you for that."

"That's a relief."

"So you married that waitress?"

"Yep. After you dumped me I found out that I had gotten her pregnant with Nashi and we'll one thing led to another."

"You don't cheat on her do you?"

"No. Never."

"Good because she's not just your girlfriend, she's your wife and the mother of your child so it would be pretty low of you to cheat on her."

"I know. So I heard that you ran into Juvia at the market the other day."

"Yes and it was so nice to see her looking happy again. You know after she and Gray lost their baby, all the happiness was pretty much drained out of her."

"Same with Gray. For five years the man hardly slept a wink, he was just so busy trying to find Winter. He would drink a lot too but he's better now. They're both better."

"They're having another baby aren't they? I mean Juvia's belly had gotten bigger when I saw her so I assumed that she was pregnant but I was too scared to ask."

"Yeah she's pregnant. They're both so excited, you should see how they fawn over Nashi. You can tell that they want to be parents again so badly."

"Well wouldn't you be the same way if you had lost your little girl for all that time?"

"I don't know. I think I would take it way worse than they did. If somebody took Nashi away from me I don't think that I could go on living."

"You really love her huh?"

"I love her more than anything in the world. I'd give up anything and everything for her."

"Wow Natsu, you've changed. I never really took you for the fatherly type."

"Well time changes people."

"That's true. Is Nashi you're only child?"

"Yeah. Touka talked about having more kids but during Nashi's birth something went wrong and she had to have a hysterectomy. She can't get pregnant again."

"Oh I'm so sorry. Did she take it hard?"

"For awhile but eventually she came to the realization that one child is better than none."

"That's for sure." She sighed. "Listen Juvia and Gray have been asking me to hang out so you might see more of me. Is that a problem?"

"No. We can be friends. We were friends before we started dating, we can be friends again."

"I'm glad you feel that way because I've really missed them and you. Platonically that is."

"Of course."

"Also Plue seems to have taken a liking to Nashi."

The two smiled as they watched Nashi rub Plue's belly.

"You ever think about getting her a pet?" Lucy asked.

"It's come to mind but I'm not sure if she's ready and my wife is allergic to dogs."

"Then get her a cat or something like that."

"I'll think about it."

"Well I have to go, it's getting late and I have to get up real early tomorrow for work. Come here Plue! Time to go home!"

At her call, Plue ran toward Lucy and let her put a leash on his collar.

"It was nice to meet you Nashi. I hope to see you again." Lucy said smiling at the little girl.

"Bye Lucy! Bye Plue! Come and play with me again!" Nashi waved to Lucy who waved back before leaving with her dog.


	5. Chapter 5

One morning before starting her class, Juvia was told by the Principle that she would be receiving a new student. An eight year old boy named Ciel Hughes, apparently he came from a poor background and was a trouble maker.

"I have to warn you Mrs. Fullbuster this boy is quite a handful. Only eight years old and he already starts fights." The principal said.

"I'm sure I can handle him. So where is he?" She asked.

"Over there."

She saw the boy sitting in a chair looking very glum and irritated. A good looking boy but his face was so serious and his eyes. Was it her imagination or did they seem very sad? She quickly put on a warm smile and went to greet him.

"Hello you must be Ciel Hughes." She said.

"Yeah so?" He said.

"I'm Mrs. Fullbuster you're teacher. It's very nice to meet you."

"Can't say the same for you lady."

Juvia was taken aback by his rudeness.

"You know you shouldn't speak to adults like that."

"Why? You're not my mother and you're not a cop."

"Well I see I have my work cut out for me. Let's go find you a seat."

"Whatever."

Juvia took Ciel back to her classroom, introduced him to the other children, and placed him at a desk.

"Okay class now today I will be reading Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer to you but I am going to give each of you a turn to read a paragraph from a page." She said.

She pulled out the book and started reading a few pages. She would stop a few times and let other students take turns reading a paragraph. It was a way of making sure the kids were paying attention to the story.

"Okay Ciel read this paragraph." Juvia said handing the book to him.

"Do I have to?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Well I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"I...I don't feel like it."

"I'm sorry you feel that way Ciel but this is a reading class and every student here has to read."

"Well I didn't want to be in a reading class."

Juvia gave him a stern look.

"I want to have a word with you young man."

"Uh-oh!" The children said.

She then went to ask the janitor to watch the class while she had a private conversation with Ciel.

"Ciel you do realize that if you don't do the activities I assign for you then you won't be prepared for any of the tests and I will have to fail you."

"Then fail me! I don't care!"

"Now there's no need to yell. I'm only trying to help you."

"I don't need your help. I don't need anybody's help, especially not yours."

"Is something bothering you?"

"Yeah you. Just kick me out of your class already and leave me alone."

"Well if you're not going to be corporative then maybe your parents will. I think I'll give them a call after school."

Fear and terror crossed the boy's face as soon as she said that.

"No! You can't talk to my parents okay? Fail me, expel me, heck hit me even but do not talk to my parents! Please!"

"Hit you?" She said in horror. "Why on Earth would I hit you?"

Just then Ciel made a face that looked as if he had said too much. Now it wasn't children had begged Juvia not to call their parents before but none of them had asked to be hit as a punishment instead of reporting them.

"Look Mrs. Fullbuster I'm sorry for being rude but I will do anything if it will keep you from talking to my parents."

"All I want is for you to read like the rest of the class. Why won't you do that?"

"Because I can't read okay?!" He snapped before running away. In that moment Juvia's annoyance and anger faded. So that's why he didn't want to read in front of the class. He couldn't read and he was embarrassed and he didn't want the other kids to find out.

"So he can't read?" Gray said when Juvia told him about it later that day.

"No and it would seem that he's embarrassed about it."

"Shouldn't he be in a different class?"

"I'm going to talk to the principal about that tomorrow but... There's off about him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well when I told him that I was going to call his parents he begged me not to."

"That's not unusual."

"No but he said that he would rather have me hit him than tell his parents."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. I've never seen a child so desperate not to have his parents involved."

"Just what kind of kid is he?"

"Well from what I know so far he seems to be a trouble maker, he's also very rude and his face it's very serious for a boy his age."

"Maybe he's pyscho." Gray joked.

"That's not funny Gray."

"Have a sense of humor will ya honey?"

Juvia just rolled her eyes and went to grab her Teacher's edition book off of the shelf. When she did she accidentally caused something to fall off. It was a picture frame that contained a photograph of her son on his first birthday. She picked it up and looked at the picture inside.

Suddenly she could hear it again. Her son crying for her. Without thinking she dropped the picture frame and rushed into another room. After hearing the sound of glass breaking, Gray went to investigate and he found his wife sitting in the nursery, clutching a doll that they were going to give to their new baby while fighting the urge to cry.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"We have to find out what happened to him Gray. I can't have this baby! Not until I know what happened to him!"

"Juvia we've been through this pain before. We have to move on."

"I can't! Not until I know if my son is either dead or alive! I can't stand not knowing! The nightmares! The flashbacks! It's torture!"

"Calm down. Think of the baby."

"I'm sorry. I thought that I had moved past this but I can't. I can't. Oh dear God why did I wait? I should've come the minute he started crying! He was calling for me to help him! It's all my fault!"

"No. No it's my fault, I left the door unlocked. I thought that I had forgotten to lock it if I had just checked..."

"Gray I don't think we'll ever be able to move on completely until we know what happened to him. We need closure."

Gray just hugged his wife like he did so many other times during moments like these. But in his heart he knew she was right. They wouldn't be able to officially recover from this until they were either reunited with their son or buried his body.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day after work Juvia started looking into hiring a detective. None of the ones that she and her husband had hired before because the only searched for two weeks. She needed someone knew, someone reliable, someone who actually wanted to help her. One of the names she found was Jellal Fernandes, a local detective. About a year ago he searched a suspect's house without a warrant for evidence that would lead him to where he was keeping a girl he had abducted. He found the girl but because he had broken the law to do so he was suspended for a year. She didn't know why but she had a feeling that he was the detective she needed. So after getting the address to his apartment, she went to see him on Saturday.

Knock-knock!

"Coming!" The apartment door was answered by a man with a tattoo over his eye.

"I'm looking for Detective Fernandes." She said.

"That's me, what can I do you for?"

"My name is Juvia Fullbuster and I need your help."

"Um...I don't think you really want my services ma'am. I don't know if you heard about my suspension last year."

"I did but you're not suspended anymore right?"

"No but they have me doing desk work and my boss has advised me against taking any cases. I could direct you to a more qualified detective."

"Wait can you hear my case out first? Please?"

After sighing for a minute he invited her inside, offered her drink which she declined, and they sat down to talk.

"Alright so what's the problem?" He asked her.

"Seven years ago my one year old son Winter was stolen from me and my husband. The police only looked for him for a short amount of time, I don't even think that they put in any effort. I've tried to get over it but I can't. I just can't."

"What exactly are you asking me to do?"

"I want you to find my son."

"With all due respect Mrs. Fullbuster, how do you know that your son is still alive?"

"I don't know but I can't go on with my life until I know if my son is alive or dead. I keep having nightmares and flashbacks, I want to move on but I can't until I know what happened to my boy."

"But why do you want me to find him?"

"Because I don't think anyone else is willing to help me. Really help me."

"If you don't mind me asking what does your husband think about this?"

"My husband thinks that this will only make things worse and maybe he's right but we need closure."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Fullbuster but I can't help you. If I open up a case like this the bosses will have my ass."

"Please you're my only hope."

"I'm really sorry. Really I am."

"Sure. You're sorry. That's all I've ever heard from the police. I'm sorry! You're sorry! Everyone's sorry but they're not sorry enough to help me!"

"There's nothing I can do Mrs. Fullbuster, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Do you have children detective?"

"No. Unfortunately I haven't known the pleasure of fatherhood."

"Then do you know what it's like to have someone you love taken away from you? For them to just suddenly disappear, vanished, gone! You spend your whole life trying to find them, you beg people for help but they just ignore you so you're on your own! You're scared to death of what's happening to them or what they've been through or if they're even still alive? Because that's what my husband and I have been living through! Can you imagine how horrible that is?"

Jellal flinched at her words and started to feel empathy. After a moment of silence he finally spoke.

"Alright I can't make any promises but I'll try."

"You will?"

"Yes."

"Oh thank you. Thank you so much. You don't know how important this is to me."

"I think I have pretty good idea. Now tell me everything you remember about the day your son was taken and don't leave out a single detail."

After Juvia explained the events that took place that night Jellal sent her home but promised to discuss the case with her tomorrow afternoon. Later that evening he went to a dinner date with his red headed girlfriend, District Attorney Erza Scarlet where he told her about the case.

"Jellal you can't get involved in this. The chief will kill you if he finds out." She said.

"You think that I don't know that? You think I want to do this?"

"Why are you doing this? You don't even know this woman but you're willing to risk pissing off the bosses for her."

"I don't know her but I know what she's going through."

"What do you mean?"

Jellal looked down at his hands pitifully as painful memories that he had spent trying to block out came back. He had never told anyone about this, not even Erza but they had been together for so long he figured that if he couldn't tell her about it then who else could he tell.

"Erza I never did tell you why I became a detective in first place did I?"

"No...I don't think you have. Are you going to tell me now?"

"Yes. Twenty years ago I had a little sister who was probably the sweetest kid you'd ever meet. Whenever my parents weren't around it was my job to look after her but one day when she was five we went on a camping trip and our parents told us not wander into the woods but I wouldn't listen. I went in there and she went with me, I turn my back and the next thing I know she's gone. I run back to tell my parents what happened, they call the police and they look for her for only one damn week! It destroyed my parents and it killed a part of me."

"Oh Jellal."

"I begged the police to keep searching. I begged them! But they just ruled her dead and maybe she was dead but if that was the case then we needed to bury her body so we could have some closure. Years later when I went into the police academy my father got sick with cancer and before he died he asked to me promise that if anyone ever went through what we did that I would try everything I could to help them. That I wouldn't just brush them aside like the other police did to us."

"Jellal is that why sometimes you do things when you broke into that suspect's house?"

"Yeah. I became a detective because part of me hoped that somehow, someway, I could find out what happened to my sister so that my parents could finally rest in peace but another part of me wants to make sure that no one has to go through what I've been suffering through for twenty years. I was desperate Erza, I thought that if I hadn't of acted then and now that family would lose their daughter forever and would never know what happened to her and now I'm going to try and make sure that woman doesn't have to suffer never knowing what happened to her son."

Erza took hold of her boyfriend's hand.

"You know something Jellal, I don't care what they say about you. You're the best damn cop Magnolia has."

She smiled at him, he smiled back, and they shared a kiss before preparing to eat their meal.


	7. Chapter 7

One afternoon Natsu was called to go back to work because the other workers needed some help with the plans for the newest building however Touka wasn't too happy about that.

"I can't just say no Touka. They need me." Natsu told his wife.

"Don't I count for anything."

"Of course you do but this is a very important job. If we mess it up it's gonna come out of my pocket."

"Why is it that you always have time for everything but me?"

"Why does everything always have to be about you?"

"Oh please nothing is ever about me. I'm always last in your life."

"That's not true and you know it. I took you out to dinner last Sunday."

"So you think that just because you took me out one time you don't have to do anything for me?"

"No. Touka you're not being fair."

"Fair? I'll tell you what's not fair, having to compete for my husband's attention."

"I'm not doing this." He grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"To work."

"Don't you walk away from me!"

"Touka I don't have time to do this right now. I'll see you when I get home tonight and I hope by then you will have calmed down."

He walked out of the house, got in his car, and drove to work. Touka huffed angrily and threw a vase. After taking a few minutes to breathe and calm down she started cleaning up the vase's broken remains and clean the rest of the kitchen. As she was wiping the tables and counter tops she noticed that Nashi was drawing a picture.

"What are you drawing sweetie?" She asked.

"What kind of pets that I want. I want either a bunny or a kitty or a puppy."

"I'm sorry Nashi but you can't have a pet. I'm allergic to dogs."

"But I don't have to get a puppy. I could get a bunny or a kitty."

"I don't think so dear."

"But Daddy said that I might be able to get one."

"Oh he did, did he?"

"Yes and Lucy says that I can always play with her puppy."

Touka slammed her hand against the counter.

"Who?" She said struggling to keep her temper under control.

"Lucy. She was a nice lady that I met in the park."

"Did Daddy talk to Lucy?"

"Yes."

"Did they do anything else?"

"No."

If Nashi had known how dangerously jealous her mother could be she wouldn't have mentioned Lucy at all but she didn't so she told her mother about her father running into his ex girlfriend. That evening. Natsu came home to find his wife waiting for him in an angry manner.

"The crane just needed a tune up." He said.

"What were you doing talking to Lucy?" Natsu turned pale and froze with fear as he sensed what was coming. "Nashi told me about how you met her in the park the other day. Why were you with her?"

"It's not what you think. We just talked, nothing happened."

"Liar!" She screamed and threw a lamp at the wall.

"It's true! All we did was talk!"

"If that's true then why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because I knew that you would get like this! You always get like this! If I even mention her name you go off!"

"You still have feelings for her don't you?!"

"All we did was talk I swear!"

She picked up a plate and smashed it over his head, he fell down on his knees and clutched his head.

"Ow! What is the matter with you?! Are you crazy?!" He shouted.

"You make me crazy! You make me like this!" She started to strike him and kick him repeatedly. "You're never there for me! You selfish scum!"

"Stop it! Stop it!" He said trying to get her off of him.

"Daddy?"

It wasn't until they heard their daughter's voice that they stopped. She stood there in her pj's, holding the stuffed rabbit Gray had given her, looking very scared.

"It's okay honey." Natsu said. "It's okay. Come on I'll tuck you back into bed."

He picked up Nashi and carried her back to her bedroom where he tucked her into bed.

"There we go all tucked in."

"Daddy why are you and Mommy shouting?" She asked.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, your Mommy and I are just having an argument."

"But she hit you and Auntie Juvia says that it's never okay to hit people."

"She's right but it's not that simple when you're a grown up."

"I don't understand."

"I know. Listen I'm going to be fine and so is your mother, we just need to talk."

"You're not going to start yelling again are you?"

"No sweet heart. We're not going to yell at each other for the rest of the night."

He kissed Nashi good night then went downstairs to sleep on the couch. There was no way that he was going to sleep in the same bed as Touka after what he just went through. Before he went work the next day he used some of his wife's make up to cover up the scratches and bruises on his face however there was nothing he could do to conceal the black eye he had received. When people asked about it he told them that he had gotten mugged on his way home from work.

"Wow that's one hell of a shiner." His employee Sting said looking at his black eye. "Did you put some ice on it?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you got mugged. Did they take anything?"

"No and the cops showed up before that jerk could do anything worse than this." Natsu lied.

"That's a relief I- sniff...sniff...sniff. Hey boss are you wearing make up?" He said.

"No...Why...Why do you ask?"

"Because I swear I'm smelling the brand of cover up powder my wife uses."

"Don't be ridiculous! I don't wear make up. You probably just got some of that make up of hers stuck in your nose."

"Hmm...You're probably right. Hey are we still going to dinner with that client and his wife tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Still at six o'clock."

"Yep."

"Alright I'll see you there."


	8. Chapter 8

The next day after class, Juvia pulled Ciel aside to have a private chat with him.

"Am I trouble?" He asked her.

"No. You told me that you didn't know how to read the other day so I decided that I would teach you to read. You could come over to my house after school and we would do our lessons there."

"Don't waste your time Mrs. Fullbuster, I'm too stupid to learn how to read."

"Nonsense. I'm sure that you can learn if you try."

"I'll try but I'm telling you it's a waste."

"Wonderful. Of course I'll have to discuss it with your parents."

"They won't care trust me."

"Still I'm going to give them a call and ask for their permission. You wait here."

Juvia went to the office to get the number for Ciel's mother then grabbed the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered by a woman who sounded rather cranky.

"Hello is this Mary Hughes?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah what do you want?" The woman on the other end of the line huffed.

"This is Ciel's teacher-"

"Oh great! What has the little runt done now?"

"Oh no nothing. He's done nothing wrong but I was wondering if I could bring him over to my house after school for tutoring sessions? You or your husband can come too."

"You plan on giving him back?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I don't care."

"Wonderful. Would you like to come with him the first few times?"

"Why would I wanna do that? You're a trust worthy lady aren't you?"

"I'd like to think I am."

"Close enough. Bring him back whenever."

She then hung up.

"Rude much." Juvia thought to herself.

She went back to her classroom to get Ciel. They went out to her car and she drove to her house. Once inside, she sat Ciel down at the kitchen table and went to get a few learning books from her closet. They were books used to teach reading to younger kids so Ciel was a little embarrassed to be studying them at first but she assured him that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"You promise not tell anyone at school about this?" The boy asked her.

"It'll be our little secret." She smiled. "I promise."

He looked up from the learning book and started to observe their house.

"Nice place you got here. Much better than the dump I live in. You rich?"

"It's pronounced are you rich, and no I'm not."

"Well compared to my place you're rich."

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad. Now since we've been studying this for about an hour why don't we take a break?"

"Fine by me."

"Are you hungry? I made some cookies."

"Uh...Sure."

In five minutes she laid a plate with four chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk in front of him.

"I hope you like chocolate chip." She said.

"I don't know. I've never had em before."

"You've never eaten chocolate chip cookies before?"

"I've never eaten any cookies."

"Oh come on, I'm sure your mom makes some for you once in awhile."

"Yeah right, I'm lucky if she makes me dinner once in awhile."

He took a bite of the first cookie and chewed it slowly then out of nowhere he started wolfing the rest down as if those four cookies were his last meal.

"Take it easy Ciel, you don't wanna choke do you?"

But he ignored her and continued to scarf down his treat. He was in such a rush to eat them all up then when he reach for the fourth one he accidentally knocked over the glass of milk causing it to fall on to the floor, the glass breaking and spilling all the milk. Ciel immediately jumped from his seat and started to back away from her.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He cried out in a panicky fit.

"It's alright it was an accident." She said gently.

"I'll clean it up!" He bent down to pick up the shattered remains of the cup.

"No don't do that." When she grabbed his arm to stop him he flinched and held his arms up to block his face as if he expected her to strike him.

"Please don't be mad! I said I'd clean it up!"

"But I don't want you to clean it up. Ciel that's broken glass, if you touch it with your hands you might hurt yourself."

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay Ciel. Really it's just one glass."

"You're not mad?"

"No silly but are you feeling alright? You're shaking like a leaf."

"I...I just thought that you would be mad at me."

"Well I'm not. Now you go sit down in the living room while I sweep this up."

Ciel nodded and did just as she said. As Juvia was sweeping up the broken glass and wiping away the spilled milk she couldn't help but wonder why Ciel had been so frightened. The way he apologized in such a panic, the way he trembled, the way he flinched and held his arms up. He was acting like she was going to beat him with an inch of his life. She couldn't recall the last time she had ever seen a child so afraid.

After she had finished cleaning up the mess she went to the living room and found Ciel looking at some of Gray's paintings hanging on the walls.

"Do you like them?" She asked.

"Uh-huh. Where did you buy em?"

"Oh I didn't buy them, my husband painted them. He's an artist."

"Really? I'm an artist too...I mean I want to be someday."

"Oh well I'm sure Gray would love to give you some pointers in your free time. What kind of art do you like?"

"I paint but some times I sculpt too."

"That's neat, I'd like to see some of your work one day."

"Okay but it's not very good."

"I bet it's great."

Juvia glanced over at the clock and saw that it was almost seven o'clock.

"Oh my it's awfully late. I better get you home before your parents start to worry."

"They won't worry trust me."

"That's what all kids say but the truth is parents worry all the time. Now where do you live?"

Ciel told Juvia where he lived, they got back in her car, and she drove him home. Ciel lived a very poor and dangerous neighborhood, the kind where people on welfare lived. Juvia could see dirty and mean looking thugs standing in all corners of the neighborhood.

"You sure this is where you live?" She asked him.

"Why wouldn't I know where I live?" The boy replied. "My apartment is over there."

She pulled up in front of an apartment building that had windows that were either cracked or broken. Juvia wasn't sure about leaving Ciel him but she couldn't just take him.

"Thanks for the ride Mrs. Fullbuster." He said getting out of her car.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow."

"You too."

He then went into the apartment building. After waiting for a few minutes she drove home.


	9. Chapter 9

That evening Gray took Juvia out to dinner, apparently he had a surprise for her.

"So what's the surprise?" She asked him as they sat down at the table.

"Well I recently sold a painting to a very rich client and I decided to use the money to buy something very special for you."

He presented a velvet black box on to the table. She opened it and inside was a sapphire and diamond snowflake pendent on a silver chain.

"Oh Gray." She said smiling.

"It's to let you know that the baby isn't the only person I think about. Do you like it?"

"I love it."

He got up from his chair and hooked the chain around her neck. They kissed and began to enjoy a wonderful night of eating a wonderful dinner and talking with each other. The night was wonderful and it might have ended peacefully if Juvia's cellphone hadn't of rang when they got home.

"Hello?" She answered. "Oh Detective Fernandes how are you?...Uh-huh...Now is not a good time but I'll come by your office tomorrow morning at nine. See you there."

She hung up.

"Who was that?" Gray asked.

Juvia hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Now don't get upset dear but...He's a detective that I hired."

"Why would you do a thing like that?"

"Because I...I want him to find out what happened to our son."

"Oh Juvia not this again."

"I don't expect to find our boy alive, I'm positive that he's dead by now but he needs a proper a burial."

"Honey we have to get passed this."

"And we will but not until we have closure."

"You have to let this go, we're about to have another baby."

"So that means I should forget our first child?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Juvia when we have this baby you can't just devote your time to finding him."

"I wouldn't do that. Gray when we have this baby I will love and care for her as much as I did for Winter but until I know what happened to him, until I can finally bury his body, the nightmares and the flashbacks will never stop. I can't remember the last time I had a peaceful night sleep, I'm terrified to go into the nursery alone because every time I do I ear him crying for me. Maybe it's easy for you to get over it-"

"I still haven't gotten over it!" He interrupted. "You don't think I'm suffering too?! You know how sometimes Nashi will ask us to take her to the park and I always stay here while you two go? Well that's because every time I go to the park and see a little boy playing there, I can't help but think is that my son?! And are his parents really the bastards that took him from us?! And I have nightmares too but they're not like yours! In my nightmares i I see myself and him, I'm teaching him how to ride a bike, I'm playing catch with him, I'm celebrating birthdays and Christmases with him, and for one small moment I'm so happy because I think that it was all just a mistake and he's still here but then I wake up, go back into his room, and find it completely empty. I'm still hurting too you know!"

Then for first time since it had happened, Juvia saw her husband break down and cry.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be taking this out on you, it's not your fault!"

Juvia hugged her husband close.

"Darling why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked.

"I couldn't! You were suffering enough! You needed someone to be strong for you!"

"Oh Gray, how could I be so selfish? You were hurting just as much as I was and I never comforted you."

"Don't blame yourself! I'm your husband, it's my job to not be weak in front of you!"

"No my dearest. No, don't hide your emotions. Not from me. I'm your wife, if I can't be your comfort who else can?"

Poor Gray had been keeping bottled up for so long, he just didn't want his wife to worry about him especially with the new baby on the way. For the rest of the night he and his wife just comforted each other.

...

Meanwhile Natsu and Touka were having dinner at a different restaurant with his co worker Sting and his wife Yukino. Dinner went well and Touka seemed calm much to Natsu's relief but things went arise when one clumsy waiter accidentally spilled water on to Natsu's face.

"I'm so sorry sir!" The waiter apologized.

But Natsu just hurried to the bathroom, desperate to fix the make up on his face before someone noticed the bruises and scratches.

"Excuse me sir." He heard a familiar voice say. Just then Lucy walked in carrying a towel. "Sir I was instructed to bring you a towel- Natsu?"

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

"I work here part time to make extra money." She saw the make up dripping from his face exposing the marks on his skin. "My goodness Natsu what happened?"

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? You looked like you were attacked. What happened? Were you mugged? Do I need to call the police?"

"No! No it...It was an accident."

"What kind of an accident? A car wreck?"

"Yeah sure, let's go with that."

"Are you alright? Was anyone else with you? Your wife? Your daughter? Were they hurt?"

"We're fine! Okay?! Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Because you look pretty banged up and these wounds don't look like they have been properly treated. Did you go to the hospital after the accident?"

"There's noting wrong."

"I beg to differ, look at these cuts. That haven't even been cleaned and is that make up? Natsu these will get infected and the effects will be severe. You need to see a doctor right away."

"I don't need a doctor. Just leave me alone!"

"Now there's no need to get angry, I'm just worried."

"You have nothing to worry about. I'll get these cleaned and put something on them but I'm not going to the hospital."

"Does your wife know about this?"

"She knows and she knows that I'll be alright. Don't be so noisy!"

He took the towel from her, wiped his face, and covered up his injuries with the make up he brought. Once that was done he left the bathroom as did she but she was greatly confused and worried. If it was just a car wreck that had done this to Natsu then why was he covering it up? What was really going on? No, there was no car wreck. Something else had happened. During the years she had dated Natsu she had learned how to tell when he was lying and he was definitely lying to her duringthat whole conversation. Something was wrong, very wrong.


	10. Chapter 10

"Gray darling can you do me a favor?" Juvia asked him one morning.

"What is it?" He answered.

"Ciel was supposed to come over for tutoring but I'm going to be a little late because I have a meeting with the board of education. Can you pick him up and just keep him entertained until the meeting is over?"

"He won't be much trouble will he?"

"No he's a good boy but he's not exactly well mannered and he tends to be a bit snarky. In fact you could say he kind of reminds me of you."

"Really? Well then I should be able to handle him. I wasn't that difficult as a child."

"That's not what your father says. He once told me that you were such a handful that he would've sold you to the circus if your mother had allowed him." She giggled.

"Oh ha-ha. You know he's lying when he says that. I was a well behaved kid and my old man wouldn't have sold me for anything."

"Well I believe that he wouldn't have sold you for anything but I'm not so sure if I believe you were a well behaved child."

"Whatever, no kid is perfect."

She kissed her husband and left for work. Many hours later Gray went to pick up Ciel from school.

"Now let's see, what does this Ciel kid look like?"

He looked around the school yard where the kids waited for their parents to pick them up. He rolled down the window of his car and called out: "Hey I'm looking for a Ciel Hughes! Is he here?"

A boy walked up to the car.

"What?" The kid said.

"Are you Ciel Hughes?"

"That depends, who's asking?"

"I'm Gray Fullbuster, Juvia's husband. She's in a meeting today so she wants me to pick you up and keep an eye on you until the meeting is over."

"How do I know you're her husband and not just some creep who abducts children?"

"You're nobody's fool kid." Gray pulled out his wallet and showed Ciel a photograph of him and Juvia on their wedding day. "Does this convince you?"

"Okay."

Ciel got in the car while Gray drove to his house. During the car ride Gray noticed that the boy looked a lot like himself when he was a kid. Of course there were some differences, his skin wasn't nearly as pale and his eyes were so blue. Blue like Juvia's eyes.

"Can you stop staring at me? That's creepy." Ciel asked.

"Juvia was right, this kid was snarky." Gray thought.

When they arrived at his house Ciel decided to catch up on his reading while Gray went down to his art studio to work on a new painting. He pulled out a bunch of paints and brushes.

"What are you painting?" Ciel asked.

"I don't know yet. Right now I'm just as the hippies say expressing myself."

"Do you only paint?"

"No. Sometimes I draw and occasionally I'll sculpt. Juvia says that you like art, you got any talent for it?"

"I draw a little and sometimes I take some parts I find and make them into sculptures."

"Really? I'd like to see your work."

"No you wouldn't. It stinks. My parents said so."

"And yet you still do it."

"Well I need something to blow off steam so it's either that or graffiti art and I don't want to end up in jail."

"Uh-huh...Do you like anything else? Like sports?"

"I'm not into sports but I like music. I think my mom used to sing to me when I was little but that doesn't make sense because she and my dad hate music."

"How can anyone hate music?"

"I don't know. They're weird."

"Hey do you wanna do something fun?"

"What?"

Gray went upstairs and about ten minutes later he came back with two large sheets of white poster paper, two smocks, and a cart of gallons that were filled with something. He hung the papers up, put on his smock, and handed the second one to Ciel.

"What are we doing?" Ciel asked.

"This is a game I invented when I was just about your age. See those balloons over there? They have paint in them, we are going to throw them at our own papers and whoever makes the most appealing painting wins. No brush, no pencil, you just throw the balloon. So wanna give it a try?"

Ciel seemed reluctant to participate at first but eventually he found himself joining in and having a fun time.

"Hmmm...I think mine is the best." Gray said.

"No fair! You can't be the judge." Ciel said.

"My game."

"But that's cheating."

Upset and feeling mischievous, Ciel picked up a balloon of blue paint and threw it at Gray while his back was turned. Gray gave the boy an equally mischievous grin.

"So is that how you wanna play?"

He picked up a balloon filled with green paint and threw it at the boy. Next thing they knew, they were throwing all the remaining balloons at each other. Needless to say, when Juvia came home she found both her husband and student covered in paint.

"Care to explain how this happened?" She asked trying not to laugh at their rainbow colored bodies.

"We got a little carried away with the painting." Gray chuckled.

"Well I brought home a pizza for dinner but before we eat I want you both to take a bath."

Gray and Ciel took turns bathing in the shower. Juvia put Ciel's clothes in the washing machine and gave him one of Gray's sweat shirts to wear all though it was very big on him. In fact it covered both his chest and legs.

"I look ridiculous." Ciel said.

"Don't worry Juvia doesn't plan on sending you home like that." Gray said.

"These sleeves cover my hands! How am I supposed to eat like this?"

"Here I'll fix em."

As he was fixing the sweat shirt to wear it would fit him better, Gray glanced down at Ciel's feet and noticed something. On the front of Ciel's left foot was a small marking that reminded him of a snowflake.

"Hey Ciel what's that on your foot?"

"Oh this? Is just a birthmark. I've had it for years. It's weird I know."

"Dinner time boys!" Juvia called from downstairs.

"Finally! I'm starving!" Ciel rushed downstairs to eat.

Gray was taken aback by what he had seen. Winter had been born with a mark exactly like that in the exact same spot. In fact that's why they had named him Winter in the first place because his birthmark reminded them of a winter snowflake.

Gray started thinking, Ciel looked almost identical to Gray when he was eight years old except he had pale skin and blue eyes just like Juvia. He had the same birthmark as Winter and he was eight. That's exactly how old Winter would be. Was it a coincidence? Or was it something else?


	11. Chapter 11

Ciel waved goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster after they dropped him off at the shabby apartment building he lived at. Once they drove away, he took a deep breath and went inside. Most children look forward to going coming home to their parents but not Ciel. His parents Giles and Mary Hughes were just horrible to him.

His father was always out gambling or here beating the crap out of him. He was a very mean and angry man who would be set off by anything. Ciel shoes being left in the hall, a spilled glass of juice, bad hand writing on his homework. And whenever he was set off he would get physical with the boy. However he was always careful to keep his bruises hidden.

His mother Mary was no better. For one thing she was a crack addict who hardly paid any attention to him. She claimed that she loved Ciel but it was all an act. An act to keep him from running away, you see Mary only wanted children to keep Giles from leaving her. She adored her husband and felt that she couldn't live without him but she had absolutely had no motherly love for Ciel.

As expected he came home to find his father gone and his mother too high to notice that he was there.

"Mom I'm home." He told her.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"I told you this morning that I was going to be at my teacher's house for tutoring."

"Why do you even bother with this tutoring? You're too stupid to learn anything."

"My teacher thinks that I'm very smart you know."

"Well then she's stupider than you.'

Ciel glared at his so called mother and went to his room. Before crawling into bed and falling asleep, he pulled out his two most prized possessions. A toy penguin and a blue blanket. He wasn't sure where they came from but whenever he held them close he felt loved. He slept with them every night and he would have the most wonderful dreams. In his dreams he had a father who wouldn't hit him but would always smile at him and make him laugh. He had a mother too but she was one who would always hold him and sing to him. A real family that loved him.

...

Lucy couldn't stop thinking about Natsu. The last time she had seen him he looked so angry and scared. She knew better than to meddle but she wanted to know if he was alright. Later that week she saw him and Nashi again at the park while she was walking Plue. As expected, as soon as she saw Plue Nashi went over to pet the puppy.

"Hi Lucy." She said.

"Hi Nashi. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Where's your dad?"

"He's walking. He always does that when he's stressed."

"He's stressed?"

"Uh-huh."

"What about?"

"I don't know."

"Nashi has your dad been getting hurt a lot?"

"No. I mean I don't know. He had a black eye once but he said he got it from a fight at work."

"A fight at work? He told me he got it from a car wreck."

"What car wreck?"

"The one you all were in. He told me that you and him and your mom were in a car wreck."

"No we weren't."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I would know if I was in a car wreck or not." Nashi stated as matter of factly.

Lucy spotted Natsu sitting down on a park bench.

"Nashi can you do me a favor? Can you watch Plus while I talk to your dad?"

"Sure!"

She excitedly took the Leah from Lucy and ran back to the playground. Lucy then walked over to the bench where Natsu sat.

"Hey." She greeted.

"Hey." He greeted back. "Look I'm sorry about how I acted the other night."

"It's okay."

"I really shouldn't have gone off on you like that. You were just worried."

"Yes I was." She said. "Natsu has...Has someone been hurting you?"

"What? No. Why would you ask me that?"

"Because Nashi said that you had gotten into a fight at work."

"Why would she tell you that?"

"Natsu what's going on?"

"Lucy I don't want to talk about this with you. Why do you even care? We broke up seven years ago."

"That doesn't mean I'm okay with someone hurting you or that I...That I don't care about you anymore. Natsu before we dated we were best friends, we told each other everything. Now I don't expect us to be as close as we were back then but you can't expect me to not be concerned about you when you get hurt."

"Lucy I know you mean well but this...This is none of your business. You don't have to worry about me. I'm a grown man."

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help. If some criminal or crazy co worker is hurting you why don't you go to the police? Think about your family? What if this nutcase goes after them?"

"It's not what you think Lucy."

"Then what's going on?"

"Lucy let me ask you something, what if our roles were switched? What if it was me budding into your business? Would tell me anything?"

Lucy looked down at her feet, answering his question.

"Natsu."

The young man jumped upon the sudden appearance of his wife Touka.

"Hi you must be Natsu's wife." Lucy greeted with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Touka looked at Lucy as if she was the bane of her existence. Like she was the most horrible thing in the world but then she smiled although it seemed fake.

"So you're Lucy." She said. "My daughter talks a lot about you."

"Really? That's nice. You know she's a wonderful girl."

"I know she's my daughter. Mine and Natsu's."

"Yes I'm aware of that."

"If you'll excuse me I would like to have a word with my husband."

Touka pulled Natsu aside so they could talk privately. Lucy sat down and continued to watch Nashi play with Plue. An hour later Natsu came by telling Nashi that it was time to go home but he had a busted lip.

"Natsu what happened?" She asked him.

"I walked into a tree." He lied.

"Are you sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"Natsu are you...Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No! I'm fine!"

"You're not fine. In fact you're worrying me. Please tell me what's wrong?"

For a moment he said nothing and he looked conflicted about what he wanted to say. Then just when it looked like he was going to confess Touka appeared again.

"Natsu we're leaving now." She told him.

Lucy saw him tremble a little before following her and their daughter into their car which drove away. Lucy felt a terrible suspicion rise up inside of her. She didn't want to believe it but what she had seen proved other wise and she decided to look into it. An old friend of hers Erza Scarlet who was not only a district attorney but she was also a counselor for battered women who had been abused by their husbands. However she suspected that roles were swapped in Natsu's marriage. She quickly called up Erza and the two made plans to meet and talk.

"Thank you so much for coming Erza." Lucy said when they met the next day. "I know how busy you are."

"Oh I'm never to be busy to see an old friend." Erza said with a smile. "So what brings you by?"

"I need to discuss something with you. Do you remember my old boyfriend Natsu Dragneel?"

"Yes."

"Well he's married now and he has a daughter and he seems to be doing well but recently I've seen him with a lot injuries, scrapes, bruises."

"Was he mugged?"

"That's what I thought at first but...I...I think his wife is abusing him."

"Lucy that's crazy. A woman abusing her husband."

"He shows all the signs that I've seen on battered women. Physical injuries, lying about how he got them, showing intense fear and nervousness when his spouse shows up."

"Is it possible that she could've been defending herself from him? You know he tends to pick fights when he's drunk."

"Yes with men but not women. I know Natsu and he would never beat a woman."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to educate me on how to tell when a spouse is abusing another spouse. I want to make sure i'm right about this before I do anything else."

"Alright. But I'm not sure about all this."

"Neither am I."


	12. Chapter 12

Gray couldn't stop thinking about that snowflake shaped birthmark he had seen on Ciel's foot. He also couldn't stop thinking about how Ciel looked and acted similar to both him and his wife. As he thought more about it, he theorized something but he was unsure about it.

"Is everything alright dear?" Juvia asked at the dinner table. "You've hardly had a bite to eat. Is something wrong with the roast?"

"No honey I'm just thinking about something."

"What is it?"

"Well... It's about that kid Ciel."

"What about him? He didn't cause you any trouble the other day did he?"

"No but...Did you ever notice that his eyes are just like yours?"

"What?"

"It's true. Same color, same shape, he even has that same cute little sparkle that I see in yours."

"Well I can't say I have."

"And another thing, did you ever notice that he kind of looks like me when I was a kid?"

"Hmm...Now that you mention it he does remind me a lot of you."

"Juvia."

"Yes?"

"I have a theory about Ciel. I don't really think this is valid and I'm pretty sure I'm wrong on this but it's been in my mind for almost two days."

"What's this theory you have about him?"

"It's that he...He might be Winter."

"What?" She said not sure that she had heard him correctly. "You think he's our son?"

"I know it's crazy but there are these similarities I keep noticing in his looks and his personality."

"It could be a coincidence."

"That's what I thought until I saw his birthmark."

"What birthmark?"

"He has a birthmark on his left foot and it's in the shape of a snowflake just like Winter had."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive and he's eight years old, that's exactly how old Winter would be right now."

"Gray it could still be just a coincidence."

"I know and I'm 99 percent of me thinks it is but one small percentage of me thinks it might be him."

"What do you think we should do?"

"Are you still working with that detective?"

"Yes."

"I want to talk to him about investigating Ciel and his family."

"I don't know if he can do that but I'm supposed to meet with him tomorrow so you can come with me to talk to him about it."

So the next day Gray and Juvia went to Jellal's office where he proposed his idea to the detective.

"You think that this boy is your missing son?" Jellal said looking at photograph of Ciel.

"Possibly." Gray said.

"Do you have any evidence that supports your theory?"

Gray placed two photographs on Jellal's desk. One was of Gray when he was eight and the other was of Winter when he was a newborn in the hospital which showed the birthmark on his tiny left foot. Jellal examined the pictures carefully.

"There is a resemblance." Jellal said. "And you're positive that this boy has the exact same birthmark in the exact same place as your son?"

"Yes."

"Who are his parents?"

"Giles and Mary Hughes." Juvia said.

"Have you ever met them?"

"No, I've only talked to his mother over the phone."

"Is it possible that Ciel is adopted? Has he ever mentioned it?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"And on the night your son was taken was anything else stolen? Anything specific? Jewelry? Clothes?"

"No." Gray said.

"Yes, Gray remember." Juvia said. "They also took a blue baby blanket that I made for him and a toy penguin that you had given him."

"Anything else?" Jellal asked.

"No."

Jellal thought for a minute. This was going to be one very steep hill he was going down.

"Okay right now there's not much I can do except maybe a background check on his parents. In the meantime if you two truly believe that he could be your son try to find more evidence or probable cause."

"Like what?" Gray asked.

"Well...Does he show any signs of child abuse? Parental neglect? Unfit living conditions?"

"No."

"Actually." Juvia said. "I think he might be getting abused. I don't know for sure but he seems absolutely terrified of his parents."

"Unfortunately that's not enough for probable cause." Jellal said. "You're his teacher right?"

"Yes."

"Mrs. Fullbuster I recommend that you keep a close eye on him and look for other signs of abuse. Like bruises, scars, malnourishment, anything that would indicate the subject but do not tell him about any of this. Him, his parents, or anyone else at least not until we have more evidence."

"Is there anyway we could get a blood test?"

"Not without probable cause. If I find something in the parents background then we may have a case here."

"What should we do til then?" Gray asked.

"As I said, just go about your daily business but watch for signs of abuse and if you find any evidence bring it to me immediately."

"We will."

Meanwhile Natsu was driving back home from work and from picking Nashi up from school.

"I'm very proud of you Nashi." He told his daughter. "The grades on your report card are great."

"Really Daddy?"

"Yep and because you've been doing so well Daddy has a little surprise for you."

"What is it?! What is it?!" She said excitedly.

He handed Nashi a small box with holes in it. She opened the box and let out a squeal of joy when she saw that inside that little box was a tiny blue kitten.

"Now I know he's not a puppy like Plue but he's just as playful and sweet as Plue. Do you like him?"

"I love him! He's so cute!"

When they arrived home Nashi rushed inside the house with the kitten in her arms.

"Mommy look what Daddy gave me!"

"Oh...He got you a pet did he?" Touka said glaring at her husband.

"Uh-huh. Isn't he cute?"

"Nashi would you mind going to your room for a minute so I may talk with your father?"

"Why?"

"Sweetheart why don't you show your kitty your room and your toys. He might like them." Natsu said.

"Okay!"

Nashi ran upstairs to her room.

"You got her a cat?" Touka said to Natsu getting angry.

"You said I could get her pet as long as it wasn't a dog."

"Well I thought a bird or a fish would be your next option. You should have told me."

"I'm sorry."

"She's not keeping that thing! Tomorrow you'll take it back."

"I can't do that. It would break her heart."

"You should have thought about that before you gave her a cat without telling me. I'm not taking care of that thing."

"You won't. I will."

"This discussion is over, you're taking it back tomorrow."

"No I'm not."

"What did you say?"

"You said that she could have a pet as long as it wasn't a dog. It's not my fault that you weren't specific. Now Nashi has been doing real well in school and she's really well behaved and-"

But he was cut off by Touka punching him right across the face.

"You bastard!" She screamed.

"Touka please don't!"

"You brought this on yourself!" She threw a large book with a hard cover at him.

"What are you doing?! Ow! You're crazy!"

"You make me crazy!"

She grabbed a frying pan and started hitting him repeatedly. Natsu didn't do anything except hold his arms around his head, waiting for his wife to stop. Little Nashi on the other hand, heard the ruckus and went downstairs to see what was happening.

"Stop it Mommy! Stop hurting Daddy!" She screamed.

"Don't talk to me like that! I'm your mother! Now go back to your room!" Touka snapped before turning back to beat Natsu.

"Mommy no! Stop it!" She grabbed hold of her mother's shirt and pulled on it.

Touka stop beating Natsu and in one swift move she smacked Nashi in the face, knocking her down.

"No!" Natsu shouted. Enraged he grabbed hold of his wife and jerked her away from their daughter. "Don't you ever hit her! Ever! Do you hear me?!"

"Get off of me!"

They struggled with each other until they both toppled out the window.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Nashi screamed in tears.


	13. Chapter 13

It was 5:00 am when Gray awoke to the sound of someone banging on his door. He tiredly dragged himself out of bed and went downstairs to see who it was.

"Waking me up at five in the morning, somebody better be dying." He said groaned.

He opened the door still feeling tired but what he saw behind the door woke him up in an instant. Standing in his doorway was Natsu with a bleeding gash on his head and his left arm bleeding while his right arm held a crying Nashi.

"What the hell happened?" Gray asked.

"Gray I need you to do me a favor."

They woke up Juvia and asked her to keep Nashi busy while Gray and Natsu talked privately.

"Natsu what's going on?"

"I need you and Juvia to watch Nashi for awhile."

"What for?"

"I did something. Something really bad and I...I think I might be arrested."

"Arrested?! What did you do?!"

"I'll explain later. For now just take care of Nashi and keep her calm, if she asks tell her that I'm okay."

"Alright."

Natsu then went into the other room to say goodbye to his daughter.

"Daddy I'm scared." She told him.

"There's nothing to be scared of sweetie. You're just going to stay with Uncle Gray and Auntie Juvia for awhile."

"I wanna stay with you Daddy."

"Daddy has to go away for some time but I promise I'll be right back." He hugged his daughter, she hugged him back. "Now while I'm gone you'll be a good girl won't you?"

"Daddy don't go."

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

"No Daddy."

He heard the sound of police sirens drawing near. He didn't want his daughter to see him being arrested like a common criminal. He turned to Juvia and Gray.

"Don't let her go outside until the police are gone." He whispered.

The young couple nodded.

"It's time for me to go now." He told his daughter. He let go of her but she clung to his waist and started crying.

"Don't go! Daddy don't go!" She held on to him for as long as she could but all too soon Gray was able to pick up the girl and gently pry her away from her father. "Daddy please!"

"I love you Nashi." He told her before going outside.

"Daddy!"

She cried and cried until her tears put her to sleep.

Apparently during the fight with his wife, Touka had been knocked unconscious and the police suspected Natsu of beating her. He was arrested and brought into custody for questioning.

"How's my wife?" He asked investigator Laxus Dreyar.

"She's awake and she's got some nasty cuts and bruises but she's fine." Laxus said. "Wanna tell me what happened?"

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Well did you beat her?"

"No!"

"Did you throw her through the window?"

"No!"

"She says that you've been beating her."

"What? No...No she's not saying that."

"She is. She says that you always come home drunk and that you beat the crap out of her."

"No! It's a lie! She's lying!"

"Why would she like?"

"I don't know! But it's not true! I would never hurt my wife! I would never hurt a woman!"

"Then why is she in the hospital? What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Natsu wasn't sure what to tell them and he wasn't sure if they would believe them. How often do you hear about women abusing men? He had no doubt in his mind that he was screwed.

...

The next day Lucy came over to the Fullbuster house to give Juvia a gift for her baby. Juvia didn't want to have a baby shower but that didn't stop her friends and relatives from bringing her gifts.

"You really didn't have to do this." Juvia said when Lucy handed her the present.

"Well I didn't get you anything for when you were pregnant the first time." Lucy said. "I always felt guilty about that."

"Lucy your father was in the hospital, he had a heart attack. I understood." She said.

Juvia unwrapped the present and opened the box to find that her gift was a tiny but adorable pink dress with matching white booties.

"Oh Lucy."

"Do you like it?"

"It's perfect! Oh they'll look wonderful on her. Thank you!"

She hugged her friend in gratitude for the gift.

"Auntie Juvia." Nashi had finally woken up. She stood at the end of the stairway, rubbing her eyes with her kitty brushing against her leg.

"Look who's awake. Morning sweetie, how are you feeling?" Juvia asked.

"Hungry."

"Okay about some waffles with strawberries for breakfast? You go in the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute."

Nashi yawned and went to the kitchen.

"What's Nashi doing here?" Lucy asked Juvia.

"She's staying with us for awhile."

"How come?"

"Oh it's just terrible. Natsu's been arrested."

"Arrested?! For what?!"

"We don't know but according to the police he attacked his wife and she swears that he's been abusing her."

"What? You don't believe that do you?"

"No. Natsu a wife beater? Neither me or Gray believe any of that. But he won't tell anyone his side of the story not even Gray."

"Does he have a lawyer?"

"He didn't call for one. We know he couldn't have done this but what we don't understand is why he won't talk."

"Where is he now?"

"Right now he's in custody."

"Is he allowed to receive visitors?"

"I think so."

"I have to go."

Lucy immediately got into her car and drove down to the local police station where she asked to speak with Natsu privately.

"Lucy what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Juvia told me about the arrest."

"Oh."

"And I also heard that you've been accused of being a wife beater."

"Yeah."

"Natsu we lost contact with each other seven years ago but I know for a fact that you are not an abuser and I...I think I know what really happened."

"You don't know anything."

"Natsu has your wife been beating you?"

"Lucy I think you should leave."

"Natsu you have to tell them the truth! That you're not abuser! She is!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Why won't you tell them the truth!"

"It's not that simple!" He snapped. "Do you honestly think that they'll believe she's the abuser? A woman?!"

"Natsu you could go to jail! You realize that right? This isn't just going to go away if you keep quiet."

"They might cut me a deal if I confess."

"Confess to what?! You didn't do anything!"

"No I did! I did attack her!"

"I don't believe that! You would never attack a woman! Never!"

"Yeah? Well what if said woman attacked my daughter!" He snapped without thinking.

"What? What are you saying?"

Natsu looked away from her.

"Natsu did you attack her because she was abusing Nashi?"

He didn't answer.

"Natsu if you go to jail then your wife will get custody of Nashi. Now who do you think she'll go after? Certainly not you, you'll have a cell and police force protecting you but Nashi, she's all alone and unprotected. The next time your wife does something to her you won't be there to protect her."

Natsu turned around and he looked like he was about to deny everything she had said but then he took her by surprise but dropping to his knees and crying.

"I don't know what to do! I can take what she does to me but I...I can't bear to think of what she'll do to Nashi! Lucy I want to tell them the truth but I don't think they'll believe me!"

"Don't worry Natsu, I'm going to get you the best lawyer for this case."


	14. Chapter 14

It was a weekend day so Nashi didn't have to go to school and due to everything that had happened to her so far Juvia decided to spend the day with her. Gray wanted to stay but he had a meeting with a very important client over a painting.

"What are we going to do today Auntie Juvia." Nashi asked.

"Well right nowI have to go to the market and pick up some groceries but while we're there we can get stuff make cookies and rent a couple movies."

"Can Happy come?" Nashi asked holding up her cat.

"No honey I'm afraid he'll have to stay here."

"But Happy doesn't like to be alone."

"We won't be gone that long and to make it up to him I'll let you pick out a cat toy to give him when we get back. Now go upstairs and get you're coat on , it's very cold out there."

Nashi went to do as she was told. Juvia had just grabbed her coat off of the hanger when she heard a knock at the door. She answered it and found Ciel waiting on the other side.

"Ciel what are you doing here?" She asked him.

"You said that we had tutoring session this Saturday."

"I did? Oh that's right I did." With everything that had happened with Natsu she realized she had forgotten about the weekend tutoring session she had scheduled with him. "I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to cancel that today."

"Oh...Okay."

"I can call your mother and tell her to come back for you."

"No good. She's uh...She'll be very occupied by something for the day and she won't pick up."

"You sure?"

"Trust me."

"What about your father?"

"Oh no don't call him! Please! He's...He's a t work and if he's disturbed while he's at work well...Let's just say that things will get really ugly."

"Alright but I can't just leave you out here, why don't you come with me and Nashi to the grocery store?"

"Who's Nashi?"

"She's a little girl who will be staying with us for awhile and she really needs some cheering up right now so please be nice."

"Okay."

Once they were all dressed up in warm clothes they got into the car and drove down to the grocery store. She bought some stuff to make dinner with, some vitamins prescribed for pregnant women, a little toy mouse that Nashi picked out for Happy, and ingredients for cookies.

"Now what kind of cookies should we make?" Juvia asked the two children.

"Sugar cookies." Nashi said.

"No chocolate chip." Ciel said.

"Sugar is better."

"No chocolate chip is."

"Now don't fight, why don't we make both?" Juvia suggested.

When they got back to the Fullbuster house, Nashi and Ciel helped Juvia put her groceries away and she made them some sandwiches for lunch. After they ate they started to make the cookies. She gave each of the children their own apron to wear and allowed them to perform a task in the cookie making process. Ciel and Nashi did everything she told them to do however when her back was turned Nashi couldn't resist sneaking a spoonfuls of cookie dough into her mouth and Ciel would swipe a few handfuls of chocolate chips.

"Hey I saw that!" She said when she turned around to find Nashi sucking on a spoon and Winter with a mouthful of chocolate chips. "Nashi you're a greedy little glutton just like your father and Ciel I thought you were more mature than that. Naughty, you don't deserve any cookies."

"Sorry." They apologized while looking very ashamed of themselves.

"Oh I can never stay mad at you two." She smiled. "But I want you both out of my kitchen until the cookies are done. They need to bake in the oven."

"But that means we have to wait and I hate waiting." Nashi said.

"Well I have to clean the kitchen now but there are some board games upstairs in the closet. Why don't you play with them while you wait?"

Ciel and Nashi did just that. In about an hour the kitchen was cleaned, and a dozen chocolate chip cookies and a dozen sugar cookies were freshly baked. She laid a couple of each on a plate with two cups of milk, set them down on the coffee table in the living room, but in the movie she had rented, and called Ciel and Nashi into the living room. They sat down on the sofa and watched the movie while eating cookies. All in all it would have been a perfect day had it not been for the knock on the door that came after the movie ended.

"I'll get it." Ciel said. "It's probably my mom."

He got up from the sofa and answered the door. It was indeed Mary Hughes and at the moment she was in a bad mood.

"What's wrong Mom? Lost your drug money again?"

"Don't act all superior with me young man!"

"I wasn't acting superior I was just stating the obvious Mom, you only get that crazy look in your eye when you've misplaced the money you've saved up for crack."

"What's that on your face?!" Mary demanded in a tone that made Juvia and Nashi jump.

"Wha...What are you talking about?" Ciel asked nervously.

"That brown stuff on your mouth!"

It wasn't until now that Ciel realized that he had some chocolate smeared on the side of his life.

"Uh...Nothing." He lied getting more nervous.

"Is that chocolate?!"

"No!"

"Don't you lie to me! You've been eating sugar haven't you?! You know you're not allowed to have sugar!"

"Auntie Juvia what's going on?" Nashi asked getting scared.

"I don't know sweetie." Juvia said starting to get concerned. "Stay here okay?"

She got up from the sofa and went outside to find Mary holding Ciel roughly by the arm, as she was ready to shake him.

"Is everything alright?" Juvia asked.

Mary turned around and when she saw her, she looked at Juvia as if she had seen a ghost or some person she was sure that she would never see again. She was so full of intense fear, like Juvia was a police officer close to uncovering a crime that she had committed.

"Who the hell are you?" Mary asked.

"I'm...I'm Mrs. Fullbuster. I guess we haven't really been properly introduced Mrs. Hughes."

"You're...You're Ciel's school teacher?" She asked nervously.

"Yes I am."

"Why are you so interested in my boy?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why do you invite him over to your house?"

"To tutor him. I thought you were alright with that Mrs. Hughes."

She was high, Juvia could tell and so could Ciel.

"Mom calm down." The boy said.

"We're going home Ciel! Now!"

"Mrs. Hughes are you okay?" Juvia asked.

"You! You stay away from my son! He's mine!" She snapped.

"Mom don't do this, please." Ciel pleaded.

"Shut your mouth! and get in the car!"

"Mrs. Hughes I don't think you're in fit condition to drive." Juvia protested gently, she put her hand to Mary's shoulder. "Why don't you come inside and we could-"

"Get the hell off of me!" Mary snapped and without warning she struck Juvia hard enough to knock her down.

"Mrs. Fullbuster!" Ciel gasped in horror.

Mary grabbed Ciel by the arm and jerked him into her car then drove away. Juvia tried to get up but she felt a sudden contraction that forced her to fall back down.

"Oh no!" She cried, moving her hands over her belly.

"Auntie Juvia?" Nashi said coming to the door way.

"Nashi." Juvia breathed as she felt another contraction. "Do you remember the number you call for help?"

"911?"

"Yes. Good. I need you to go get the phone and call that number. Can you do that?"

"I'm scared."

"Don't be scared." She said trying to remain calm. "Just get the phone, call the police, and tell them that I need help."

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"No it's just that my baby is coming now and when she arrives I'm going to need some help."

Nashi grabbed the phone, dialed 911, and told the authorities what had happened. With in 15 minutes an ambulance arrived to take Juvia and Nashi to the hospital.


	15. Chapter 15

Juvia was rushed to the hospital and Nashi was taken with her. As soon as she arrived the hospital called Gray right away. He had just finished painting a picture of a landscape he saw from his open window when the phone rang.

"Hello?" He answered. "Yes this is Gray Fullbuster, may I help you?...What?! What do you mean she's having the baby?! She's not due for another two weeks?!...What?!...Okay I'll be right there!"

At that moment Lucy drove by to see Gray come running out of his studio as fast as he could and in his haste he accidentally ran smack into his car.

"Gray!" The blonde gasped when she saw him fall to the ground. She quickly got out of her car and went to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"It's Juvia! She's having the baby!"

"Now? But I thought that she wasn't due for another two weeks."

"Something happened! Some crazy woman attacked her and it made her go into early labor! I gotta get to the hospital now!"

"You're too nervous to drive. I'll take you to the hospital."

"Thanks."

"It's not a problem but were you this nervous the first time?"

"Actually the first time we had a baby I threw up more than Juvia did."

"That bad?"

"I was still a teenager when we had Winter so what do you expect?"

Once they arrived at the hospital, Gray bolted to the front desk.

"Hello I'm Gray Fullbuster, I'm Juvia Fullbuster's husband."

"Yes. Follow me sir."

Lucy sat in the waiting room where she found little Nashi crying alone.

"Nashi sweetie what are you doing here?" She asked the girl.

"A mean woman tried to hurt Auntie Juvia." She wept. "I'm scared."

"There, there it'll be alright." Lucy gently took Nashi into her arms and held her as if she was a mother trying to comfort her own frightened child. "Juvia will be fine. She's just going to have her baby."

"Then why was she crying?"

"It's the good kind of crying Nashi. Sometimes people cry when they're happy."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"One day you'll understand."

Meanwhile in another room Juvia endured one painful contraction after another one while preparing for the moment her child would enter the world. Gray gently grasped her hand and gave his support.

"It's going to be okay Juvia." He told her. "I'm so sorry you're hurting like this."

"I don't care about the pain dear." Juvia said. "I just want our baby to be alright."

"Mrs. Fullbuster I think it's time." The doctor said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Juvia gripped her husband's hand tightly and started to push. She cried, the pain was just so awful but she just endured it through and through. Finally she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster." The doctor said. "You have a daughter."

"Is she okay?" Juvia asked.

"She's fine."

The doctor then placed a bundle in her arms. Gray and Juvia smiled down at their new daughter, both relieved that the attack and early labor hadn't of caused her any harm.

"Oh Gray she's so beautiful." Juvia smiled with tears of joy in her eyes.

"She looks just like you." Gray said with a smile and he moved his hand to gently brush the patch of blue hair on the baby's head. "Hello sweetheart I'm your daddy."

"And I'm your mommy." Juvia said. "We love you so much...Oh no!"

"What is it?"

"We still haven't picked out a name for her."

"Oh...Huh...Well she looks a lot like you so why don't we call her little Juvie?"

"Oh really Gray, now that's just silly." Juvia giggled.

The baby girl started to yawn and stretch, when she opened her eyes they were revealed to be a very beautiful shade of grey.

"Look Darling, she may look like me but she has your eyes. Those lovely grey eyes."

"They actually look silver to me. Like my mother's."

"Silver... Sylvia. Why don't we call her Sylvia? Because she's as bright and beautiful as silver."

"I like it."

They each gave their beautiful baby girl a kiss and later they let Lucy and Nashi come in to see her.

"Gray, Juvia, she's so cute." Lucy said.

"Would you like to hold her?" Juvia asked.

"Sure."

Gray placed Sylvia in Lucy's arms. She smiled at the sleepy infant. Oh how she always wanted to have a baby of her own but she didn't see that ever happening for her.

"Can I hold her?" Nashi asked.

"I don't know. You might be too little." Juvia said. "What do you think Gray?"

"I don't see any harm she holds Sylvia in her lap while sitting on the sofa over there. Lucy would you help her out?"

"Uh-huh."

Lucy and Nashi sat on the sofa in the room. Lucy then carefully moved baby Sylvia into Nashi's lap while making sure that Sylvia was perfectly elevated. Nashi looked down at Sylvia with intense curiosity, she had never seen a baby up close before.

"She sure is tiny."

"Well that's how all babies are." Lucy said.

"You know Nashi you were once that size." Gray said remembering the day he and Juvia had gone to the hospital when Nashi was born. Poor Natsu had been a nervous wreck but once he held his little girl for the first time he's nervousness turned to utter joy. It made Gray sad that his best friend couldn't be here to see his new daughter.

"I was?" Nashi said in disbelief.

"Yep. You were a cute little thing."

"Gray she still is a cute little thing." Juvia giggled.

"Is the baby going to sleep in my bed tonight?" Nashi asked.

"Oh no Nashi. She's going stay here for the night with me and Gray...Oh dear! Gray where is she going to sleep?"

"I can take her." Lucy said.

"You don't mind?" Gray asked.

"Not at all. You and Juvia just stay here and get some rest. You've both had a very long night."

"Thank you Lucy." Juvia said. "We'll see you both tomorrow."

"Come on Nashi, you're going to spend the night with me okay?"

"Okay." The little girl said.


	16. Chapter 16

Juvia and baby Sylvia both needed their rest so Lucy didn't stay long. She went back to the Fullbuster house to get Nashi's things and Happy, then she brought all of that along with Nashi back to her apartment. By the time they arrived it was after eight and little Nashi was exhausted.

"But I don't want to go to sleep. I'm not tired." She yawned.

"Yes you are." Lucy chuckled as she tucked the little girl into the bed of her guest room. "There we go, all snug and warm. Now do you need anything else? Another blanket? Another pillow? A glass water?"

"I want my daddy."

"I know sweetie but your daddy is really busy right now."

"Did I do something bad? Is that why he went away?"

"No honey, it's nothing you did. It's not your fault."

"Then why did he go away?"

"It's complicated but I promise you that your daddy isn't going to go away forever. He's going to come back."

"When?"

"I don't know but I'll do everything I can to make sure it's soon."

"I wanna talk to daddy, can I call him?"

"Not now but I'll tell you what." Lucy went over to a chest which she opened up and started looking for something inside. She then pulled out a little doll in a pretty blue dress. Nashi this is Michelle, she was my doll when I was little and she's very special."

"What makes her so special?"

"You don't know? Didn't your father ever tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Toys are magic."

"They are?"

"Yes you see toys are made specifically to protect, watch over, and love children so they do everything they can to make them happy. And one of the things they do is send messages from children to their parents. So if you want to talk to your daddy but you can't at the moment you just tell Michelle exactly what you want to say to him and when you go to sleep she'll send the message to him. She did it all the time for me when my father went away on business trips."

"How does she do that?"

"It's a secret."

"Why does she do it when I'm asleep?"

"Because she knows that when you're asleep that means you've told her all that you want your daddy to hear for today. She wants to make sure that she gets the whole message especially if you want to add on more to the message later."

"I guess that makes sense."

Lucy sat Michelle on the table that was next to the bed.

"She'll sit right here and you just tell her the message."

"Okay." Nashi looked at the doll with the pretty smile. "Hi Michelle, I'm Nashi. Can you tell Daddy something for me please? I want you to tell him that I love him and that I miss him and that I want him to come home. I also want you to tell him that I'm being a good girl like he told me to be. So will you do it?"

The doll didn't respond.

"Did she get the message?"

"Yes she did." Lucy smiled. "You know dolls are great friends, you can tell them anything and they'll always keep your secrets. Now it's time to go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning okay?"

"Okay. Good night Lucy." Nashi leaned up and kissed Lucy on her cheek before turning over on her side and snuggling up with Happy.

"Good night Nashi." The blonde said shocked by the kiss but also feeling very joyful about it. She then dimmed the lights in the room and slowly closed the door.

"You know you would make a wonderful mother." Lucy was startled when she realized that Erza was in her apartment.

"Oh God you scared me! What are you doing here?!"

"You called me remember? You said you had a case for me and you wanted me to come over as soon as my trial was over. Also the door was open."

"Oh right! Sorry I forgot, my friend Juvia had her baby and I had to watch Nashi and...I just got mixed up in everything."

"I see. So what's the case?"

"It's about Natsu, I want you to be his lawyer in the upcoming case against his wife."

"Defend a wife beater? I would never."

"Erza he's not a wife beater! If you knew Natsu the way Gray, Juvia, and I know him you wouldn't dare think he would beat his wife."

"He basically flung her out a window!"

"For attacking his child! He told me what happened that night. They got into argument, she started beating him, he didn't do anything to stop her but then their daughter came in and she begged her mother to stop but the woman struck that child in the face so Natsu finally retaliated. Don't you understand? He only did what any father would do for his child."

"You really believe that he's innocent and that his wife is the abuser?"

"I have no doubt about it in my mind whatsoever."

Erza thought for a moment then spoke.

"Okay so he said that his wife attacked their daughter and that's why he got violent with her?"

"Yes."

"And is it possible that she's witnessed the abuse that her father's been through?"

"It is possible."

"Alright then if we can get the child to say that then we can make a case but working with children is never easy."

"Do we have to drag her into this? She's already got enough to deal with."

"I don't like it any more than you do but if Natsu is telling the truth then it's either a little girl experiences great discomfort or an innocent man goes to jail."

"At least talk to Natsu before you do anything. He's very protective of her, in fact all that poor man can think about is how this is all going to effect her."

"Really? Wish my father was that devoted to me. But don't worry I'll talk to him. In the meantime do you have custody of the kid?"

"No technically Gray and Juvia do but they have a new baby now and they can't watch her."

"Does she have any other relatives?"

"Natsu's parents died when he was a little boy, he has an older brother but he's serving over seas at the moment."

"Then I'm afraid she'll have to stay with her mother until further notice."

"Oh dear God no! Erza she struck Nashi while in uncontrollable fit of rage and lord only knows what else she could have done if Natsu hadn't of stopped her. He doesn't want that mad woman anywhere near his child."

"Now calm down. Are Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster Nashi's godparents, legal wise?"

"I don't know. When we were dating Natsu always said he would make Gray and Juvia the godparents of our future children but I don't if he was serious."

"Well if they are legally her godparents and they entrusted her in your care then she can stay with you. I'll have to take a look at the documents, in the meantime you just get some rest and keep an eye on the kid."

"Okay. Thank you Erza."

"I gotta go now, see you later."

With that said Erza left.


	17. Chapter 17

Meanwhile Detective Jellal Fernandes had done background checks on both Giles and Mary Hughes. Apparently Giles had been arrested several times for assault but he couldn't find anything on Mary. Wanting further information, he looked up Mary's sister Coco who worked as a nurse.

"So what is my sister under investigation for?" Coco asked. "Is it drugs?"

"Why would you say that?"

"My sister has had a history of getting involved in drug selling schemes. She's an addict and I've tried to get her into rehab but she never stays long. It's all the fault of that husband of hers Giles."

"According to records Giles has had various assault charges but they all ended up getting dropped."

"That's because he frightened his victims in shutting up."

"Has your sister ever been violent?"

"Not that I can remember."

"Do you think either she or Giles would harm their son?"

"Son?" Coco said in surprise. "They have a son?"

"Yes. He's about eight years old now. You didn't know?"

"We haven't spoken to each other in ten years." She shook her head. "I can't believe this. She actually became a mother."

"You don't seem too happy about it."

She gave a sigh in frustration before speaking again.

"Don't get me wrong detective I love my sister but that woman was never meant to be a mother. She's too selfish to be one and her husband is a total pyscho. Good God, what idiotic agency would place a child in my sister's care?"

"Well how do you know that he's adopted?"

"Because twelve years ago my sister was driving while she was high and crashed into a lamp post. It ruptured her ovaries and she had to have an emergency hysterectomy. So there's no way that boy could be hers biologically."

"I see. Is there any evidence of this surgery taking place?"

"I have some of her old medical records stashed away. I'll give them to you."

"Thank you very much."

"What's this all about anyway? Why do you need her medical records?"

"I don't mean to alarm you but I have reason to believe that the boy your sister claims is her son is a baby who was kidnapped from his parents seven years ago."

"What? No. I mean Mary is twisted but she wouldn't do that."

"Are you sure? You said so yourself, you haven't been in contact in ten years."

"Yes but she's not that crazy. I mean drugs are her issues not child abduction and- Wait a second you said this kid went missing seven years ago?"

"Yes."

"And what hospital was this kid born in?"

"According to the parents The Seven Bell hospital that's up the road from here. Where you work."

"Oh my God." Coco said as realization hit her. She then whispered to herself. "Oh Mary what did you do?"

"What is it? Do you know something?"

"I think I might."

"If you know anything you better tell me."

"I hadn't spoken to my sister in ten years but we did have one phone call seven years ago."

"What did you talk about?"

"She asked me to name a couple who's baby was born at the hospital a year earlier. I was getting drunk with my boyfriend when she called and I don't know for sure but I think I named one couple."

"Who were they?"

"I didn't meet them I just heard a maternity nurse talking about them a year earlier."

"What did she say? What do you remember?"

"I...I think she said that they were young, late teens and apparently newlyweds."

"I need a name."

"I don't remember."

"Well think! This is very important!"

"I don't know...Full something...Fuller?...Uh... Fullbuster? Yeah I think that's it. Fullbuster."

"That's their name?"

"Yes. Oh my God I...I I didn't think...I was drunk when I told her this! I swear I didn't know what she was going to do with that information! And if I was sober I wouldn't have told her anything! Please don't tell my bosses!"

"Now calm down, I just have one more question. Do you know if your sister would have any motive for taking a child?"

"No. In fact she hates children. I remember how she would always scream at the kids who played in our neighborhood and she showed no sign of sadness when she had the hysterectomy. If she really did do this then I don't understand why. I mean I guess she might do it to sell the kid for drug money but to keep it and raise it? That's not like her at all."

"Uh-huh. Thank you for your time."

Jellal left Coco's house and went to talk with Erza about getting a warrant for a D.N.A test.

"According to her medical records Mary Hughes is incapable of having a biological child and nearly every adoption agency she went to rejected her request to adopt." He told her. "She realizes that she can't have a baby a legal way so she calls up her sister to find out about couples nearby who have a baby. Shortly after this a kid is taken, you can't tell me this is just a coincidence."

"Say that she did do it, why steal a one year old? Why not a newborn?"

"My theory is that she knew if she had taken a newborn all hospital staff would be questioned including her sister which would bring up the phone call implicating her. This along with the photo and the birthmark are probable cause for a D.N.A test for Ciel Hughes and Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster."

"Fullbuster?" Erza said. "Would that be a Gray and Juvia Fullbuster?"

"Yes."

"Small world. The guy I'm representing in court happens to be a friend of theirs."

"Wow that is interesting. What's the case?"

"My client and his wife got into a dispute which led to a violent confrontation. My client's wife is claiming that he's been beating her but according to him it's the other way around."

"A husband beater? Well that's rare but not unheard of."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I once looked into a case where a woman verbally and physically abused her paralyzed husband. Apparently she resented him for 'forcing'." He made quotation marks with his fingers. "Her to look after him like a slave after the accident. One of her beatings caused him to fall out of his wheel chair and crash into a wall which snapped his neck. He died."

"Did she serve time?"

"She's currently serving fifty to life. So while it is very rare for women to abuse their husbands it's not impossible."

"Can you get me a file on that case? It might prove useful."

"Can you get me a D.N.A test?"

"I'll have to pull a few strings but yes."

"Okay I'll get the file. Good luck on your case honey."

"Same to you dear."

They kissed and went their separate ways.


	18. Chapter 18

Juvia woke up one morning feeling happier than she had ever been. So happy that she decided to cook a big breakfast for herself and her family. She had just finished pouring the coffee when she realized that her husband wasn't at the kitchen table waiting for breakfast like he usually did when she cooked. However she knew where he might be.

As expected she found him in the nursery, looking over the precious little bundle of joy she had brought into the world. Whenever he had free time from work or speaking with her he would just stand there in the nursery and looking over little Sylvia. He had done the exact same thing when Winter was first born.

"Breakfast is ready." She said looking over the crib with him. "Aren't you hungry this morning?"

"I'll come eat in a minute." He told her, his gaze not leaving the sleeping baby girl for one second. "Not much of a cryer is she? I thought that she would keep us up for hours like Winter did."

"All babies are different dear. Some cry a lot and some don't."

At once little Sylvia woke up and started to make a little noise. Not crying but a little whimper.

"Look who's awake, good morning sweetheart." Juvia smiled and picked up Sylvia. "I bet you're hungry right about now? Gray darling why don't you eat your breakfast while I give Sylvia her breakfast?"

Gray sat down to the table where he dined on toast, eggs, and bacon. Sitting across from him was his wife who cradled their new daughter in her arms, feeding her a bottle of warm milk. There was a knock at the door, Gray answered it. It was Ciel.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I wanted to apologize for what my mom did to Mrs. Fullbuster." The boy said. "And I brought her a present to make up for things."

He held up a bag gift.

"Thanks, do you want to come in for breakfast?"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course and besides I'm sure Juvia would like to see you."

The gift that Ciel had brought was a little moblie that had butterflies made from colored tissue paper hanging from it with a little glitter on it their wings.

"Oh Ciel they're beautiful." Juvia said.

"I made it myself."

"You did? Well aren't you talented?"

"You did have a girl right?"

"Yes we did. Oh thank you so much for this."

Gray hung the moblie and Juvia placed the fed Sylvia back in her crib. While the two of them fixed Ciel some breakfast the boy went into the nursery and looked down at the baby girl who looked up at him with curious grey eyes. Suddenly he started to become fussy and she seemed to be reaching for something. He spotted a little polar bear teddy on the floor, having fallen from the crib. When Ciel gave it back her she latched on to his finger with her tiny hand.

"Whoa nice grip."

"What do you think of her?" Juvia asked walking into the nursery.

"I've never seen a baby before, at least not one this close. Why does she keep staring at me?"

"Because she's just meeting you today and I think she's trying to figure out if she likes you or not. Judging by the fact that she's holding your finger I think she does."

"Is she going to let me go or is she just going to hold my finger all day?"

Juvia giggled and helped Ciel remove his finger from Sylvia's hand without making her cry. Then she brought him over to the table to eat breakfast. Before long little Sylvia had fallen asleep wrapped in a pink blanket and holding her polar bear teddy.

"How long do babies sleep?" Ciel asked.

"Hard to say, it all depends." Gray said. "Sometimes they never sleep. Honey remember that first night after we brought Winter home?"

"Oh I remember, he kept us up for hours. We'd hold him and feed him and change him but nothing seemed to get him to stop crying."

"Who's Winter?" Ciel asked.

The couple went silent for a moment. They weren't sure if they wanted to tell him, considering that they suspected him of being their boy. Finally Juvia decided to tell him.

"Winter is our son...We had him sometime ago."

"What happened to him?"

"We...We lost him."

"I'm sorry. I hope you find him one day."

"Us too." Gray said. "In fact we think that we've gotten pretty close to finding him."

Ciel glanced over at the clock at saw that it was ten o'clock.

"Uh-oh. It's ten! I better get home!"

"Do you want a ride?" Gray said.

"No. No that's okay my mom is coming to pick me up."

"Alright then. See you around?"

"Yes! Sure! Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster! Thank you breakfast! I'll see you at school when you're off maternity leave Mrs. Fullbuster!"

"Goodbye Ciel." Juvia said.

Truth be told Ciel's mother wasn't coming to get him. He had sneaked away from his apartment building just to drop off his gift and he intended to get back before his parents renturned from a quick deal they had gone to make. Unfortunately he had lost track of time and they had gotten back before he did.

"Where were you?!" Giles shouted.

"I...I...I..." He was trying so very hard not to be scared. "I was just paying my teacher a quick visit."

"You're always going over to that woman's house. Why do you go over there so much?"

"I like her and Mr. Fullbuster."

"More than us? You're own parents?" Mary said. "You ingrate! We've raised you and cared for you and loved you-"

"Please you didn't do squat." Ciel mumbled.

"What was that?!" She snapped.

"Nothing." He said.

"You said something. What was it?!" Giles demanded.

"I...I..."

"Say it! Or I'll smack you!"

"I said that you didn't do squat!" He said getting angry. "You always hit me and say that I'm stupid! You never did anything for me! You wanna know why I go over there so much?! Because I wish that they were my parents instead you two!"

"You little bastard!" Giles shouted as he grabbed Ciel as rough as he could.

The poor boy had suffered many beatings in his life but they would be nothing compared to what he would suffer from his so called mother and father.

...

Juvia sat in her rocking chair and humming, trying to get Sylvia to sleep. Se dosed off quicker than she thought, so Juvia kissed her and tucked her back into her crib. She then proceeded to make herself some warm tea and wait for her husband to come home. At nine o'clock she heard a knock on the door.

She smiled and went down to asnwer, expecting to see her husband. But when she opened the door horror crossed her face. Lying at her door step was a small backpack and Ciel unconsious, his body battered and brusied to such a degree that Juvia would faint on sight. She screamed and took him to the hospital right away but not before dropping Sylvia off at Lucy's to watch her. When Gray heard word of this he immediately rushed down to the hopsital. He found Juiva sitting in the waiting room, crying uncontrollably.

"It'll be alright Juvia." He said comforting her.

"They broke his ribbs!" She wept.

"Who did?"

"Those parents of his! I know they did it! I just know they did it! The doctor said that he could've been killed! Oh Gray, who could do something so horrible to a little boy?!"

Gray could only hold his wife and let her cry. After awhile the doctor allowed them to see Ciel who still unconscious and bandaged up. Juvia held on to his hand.

"He'll be fine." Gray told her. "The doctor said that he would recover."

"Yes but I don't want to send him back to those people who did this to him. I can't send him back."

"Calm down." He said. "They're probably not going to send him back to him. You're really tired honey why don't you get some sleep and I'll watch him?"

Gray moved to get her a pillow but he accidentally knocked over Ciel's backpack which spilled a few things out. Two of which caught Gray's instant attention. A very familiar looking blue blanket and stuffed toy penguin. The man felt himself tremble with shock when he saw them and his hands despite shaking, moved to pick them up.

"Juvia? This is Ciel's bag right?"

"Yes." She answered, her gaze not leaving Ciel.

"So everything in this bag is his right?"

"I believe so dear."

"I see."

Gray suddenly felt himself shake with a great anger and rage that he had never known.

"Gray is everything alright?" Juvia asked.

"Everything's fine." He put Ciel's stuff back in his bag. "Juvia I'm gonna go out for a minute."

"What for?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Don't worry I'll be back."

And he was gone before she could question him further.


	19. Chapter 19

Jellal was on his way to Giles and Mary's apartment to question them about what he had learned from Mary's sister. His car had just pulled up to the apartment building when he saw Gray heading for the door a gun in his hand. Jellal could see that Gray was shaking but not with fear but with a great anger. Sensing trouble, he quickly got out of his car and confronted him.

"Mr. Fullbuster what are you about to do?" He asked.

"But out detective." Gray said.

"I'm sorry sir but I can't do that. At least not until I know for sure that you're not going to do something crazy, why do you have a gun?"

"You wanna know why I have a gun? It's because I'm gonna kill Mr. and Mrs. Hughes."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"They almost killed Ciel!" He shouted. "They beat him half to death! I'll kill them for this!"

Gray tried to continue into the house by Jellal held him back.

"Put the gun down Mr. Fullbuster." He told him calmly.

"No! They gotta pay!"

"I understand your anger sir-"

"No you don't! At the hospital I went through Ciel's bag and you know what I found? I found the toy penguin that I gave Winter and the blanket that my wife made for him! He's my son Detective Fernandes! Ciel is my son! Mine and Juvia's! Those bastards took him from us! And they tried to kill him!"

"Mr. Fullbuster this isn't the way. If you kill these people you'll go to jail."

"I don't care!"

"Really? What about your wife? Do you think she'll be better off with you in jail? And your daughter? What about her? If you go to jail your daughter will have to grow up without a father and a mother who has to raise her alone. Is that what you want? Is that what you want?!"

In the end Jellal managed to get Gray to drop his gun but the poor man collapsed into tears.

"I just want my son back!" He wept. "And I don't want those people to hurt him anymore!"

"It'll be alright Mr. Fullbuster. I believe that boy is in fact your son and if I have anything to say about it, those people will never lay a hand on that child again." He helped Gray back to his feet. "Come on I'll take you back to your wife. She must be worried sick about you."

The next day Erza went to meet with her client Natsu to discuss the case.

"I don't want Nashi involved in this." Natsu said when Erza proposed using the girl as a witness.

"Mr. Dragneel I understand the concern you have for your daughter but so far she's the only who's witnessed your wife's abuse." Erza said.

"This will be too much for her. She's too young."

"Natsu need I remind you that the best way to win this case is to have a witness to testify against your wife. If we don't then there's a pretty good chance that we'll lose."

"Isn't there any other way?"

"I'm afraid not."

Natsu sighed before speaking again.

"Do you promise not to pressure her?"

"I'll be as gentle as I can with her. I promise and if you'd like we can do the interview with someone she knows with her."

"Alright. Can I see her?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Dragneel but while you're under investigation of abuse, you can't have any contact with your daughter until the trial."

"Can you at least tell me if she's doing alright? She must be so scared by all this."

"According to Lucy your daughter is fine. She misses you but other than that nothing bad has happened."

"Has my wife done anything to her?"

"Your wife is also under investigation for abuse so she won't have any contact with your daughter until the trial."

"I can't believe this is happening." Natsu said. "I can't even see my own daughter and there's a good chance that I could go to jail, what am I going to do?"

"Don't worry Mr. Dragneel, I will do everything I can to make sure that you win this case. Now could you tell me a little something about your wife's background?"

"Like what?"

"Her family, how she grew up, what she did before she married you."

"She worked as a waitress before we got married as for her family and how she grew up, I don't know that much. She never really told me anything about her parents. I asked a couple of times but she always said that it was a painful subject."

"Is that all you know? Come on there must be something."

"I don't know."

"Well think."

Natsu thought long and hard about all the very few times Touka had told him about her past. Nothing he remembered seemed important except for one thing she mentioned to him once.

"She once told that she used to see a therapist when she was a kid."

"What therapist?"

"Dr...Dr. Warren?...No Dr...Dr. Warrod Sequen. I think that's what his name was."

"Alright I'll go talk to this Dr. Warrod Sequen and see if I can get subpoena on her records."

She looked up Dr. Warrod Sequen online and found out that he was the therapist of a local institute. She called Dr. Sequen and scheduled a meeting with him right away.

"I can't talk to you about one my patients Miss Scarlet." Dr. Sequen told her. "It's confidential."

"I understand that sir but I need to know why she was sent to your hospital."

"I can't say. I am truly sorry for what she's doing to that man but I have a policy that I must live by."

"Dr. Sequen she has a daughter and if her husband loses this trial then she will get custody of that child and God only knows what she'll do to that kid."

"She has a child?"

"Yes."

The doctor looked around to make sure that no one was listening, he then pulled Erza into his office.

"Alright. I'll tell you what I know but I can't give you her records. Touka's mother died when she was much younger and her father abused her physically and verbally until she was nine years old, that's when he abandoned her in favor of her stepmother."

"Why was she at your hospital?"

"The abuse and abandonment she suffered from her father made her dangerously ill and violent. After she tried to beat another child to death she was brought here where I served as her doctor. Over the years I learned that she had a very unstable temper, was prone to extreme jealousy, reacted very violently to when she didn't get her way, and was desperate to have a man love her. By the time she was eighteen she seemed to have gotten better but I sensed that she still had some issues. I recommended that she stay in the institute but they let her go anyway."

"Do you think that she would abuse her husband?"

"I do. Despite wanting a man to love her, she also thinks of all men as abusers like her father and she's convinced that sooner or later they will abandon her for another woman."

"Okay thank you Dr. Sequen."

"You can't tell anyone that I told you this. At least not until you get a subpoena from a judge."

"I'll work on that right away. Thank you, you've been very helpful."


	20. Chapter 20

Ciel felt as if a hammer was banging against the side of his head when he finally woke up. The last thing he remembered was taking the beating of a lifetime from his so called father and then everything went black. He expected to wake up in heaven or some sort of after life believing that the beating killed him but instead he found himself in a room that was all white and had an extremely clean smell. He felt hand hold on to his and at first he flinched thinking that it belonged to Mary or Giles but to his relief it belonged to Juvia.

"Mrs. Fullbuster?" He said.

"Oh Ciel thank goodness." She sighed in relief.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital sweetie, you had a broken rib but you'll be alright."

"How long will I be here?"

"They need to keep you over night for observation but you can leave tomorrow morning."

"I don't wanna go home!" He said getting scared. "I can't go home! My parents they'll-"

"Shhh...It's okay you're not going back to those people I promise."

"They tried to kill me." He said trembling. "They actually tried to kill me. I always knew they never really loved me but I never thought they would..."

He couldn't finish, it was just too painful. He tried not to cry but he ended up doing it anyway. With great gentleness and care, Juvia took the weeping boy into her arms and cradled him close while rocking back and forth in the bed. Soon he fell asleep and she tucked him back into bed. Shortly afterward her husband returned with Jellal.

"Oh Gray I'm so glad you're back." She said. "I was so worried, you looked so strange when you left."

"I'm sorry for upsetting you." He said.

"Detective Fernandes what are you doing here?" Juvia asked.

"Would you mind stepping outside with me? I don't think it would be wise to wake the boy." He said.

"Of course."

They stepped outside the room.

"As we speak my girlfriend, district attorney Erza Scarlet is securing a warrant for the arrest of Mr. and Mrs. Hughes for attempted murder and child abuse." He said.

"Good." She said. "I hope they rot in prison."

"She's also securing a D.N.A test."

"For what?"

"For you two and the boy. If D.N.A proves that he is your biological son we'll have them kidnapping charges too."

"But how can you be so sure that he's ours."

"Because I found this in his bag." Gray said holding up the toy penguin and the baby blanket. "It's him Juvia, it's our boy. I'd be willing to bet my life on it."

Juvia felt her whole body start to shake and her hands moved to take the blanket from her husband. She ran her fingers over the soft, blue material and inhaled it's scent. Tears stung her eyes and she recognized the scent.

"My baby." She sobbed. "My poor sweet baby. Oh dear God! What did those monsters do to him?!"

Gray held his wife as she started to break down.

"It's going to be okay honey." He told her. "Tomorrow morning we'll take him home with us."

"Actually that can't happen yet." Jellal said.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Until the results of the D.N.A test verify he'll have to stay at a foster home."

"You're kidding. He's our son!"

"Which hasn't been proven yet and until it is the law can't just give him to you. He'll only be there for three to four days depending on how long the test takes. You can visit him but you can't take him home with you yet. I'm very sorry."

"How soon can you get the test?" Juvia asked.

"My girlfriend is already working on it. I know this is hard for you both but you have to be patient, just for a little longer."

"We've been patient for seven years." Gray said. "How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Just three days. That's all I'm asking, three days."

"This isn't right."

"Gray what choice do we have?" Juvia asked. "And it's only for three days. We can wait."

"Glad that we've reached an agreement. I'll call you both when it's time for the D.N.A test."

"Just so we're clear those bastards are going to come anywhere near him are they?" Gray asked.

"Absolutely not. I can assure you they'll never lay eyes on that boy again. I have to go now but I pray that things we'll be fine when this is over." He said before leaving.

"I hope they stick a needle in both of them." Gray said.

"For now let's forget that and be content that we fianlly found Winter and that we found him alive!" She said. "I was so sure that he was dead. I expected to find his body in a ditch somewhere but to find him alive! Oh Gray!"

The couple held each other feeling so sad and relieved at the same time. But the moment was interrupted by he sound of Juvia's phone ringing.

"Hello?" She answered. "Oh hi Lucy...Yes I'm alright...Ciel is fine. They're releasing him tomorrow...Oh no you don't have to keep Sylvia for another night, I'll be right there to pck her up. Thanks again for watching her, I'll see you there."

She hung her phone.

"I have to get Sylvia. Gray you'll stay here with Winter won't you?"

"I won't leave him alone for a second."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now you better get going, remember we have another child to think about now."

She kissed Gray and the two of them quietly crept back into the room where they saw their son, sleeping in bed. She leaned over and softly placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Mommy will be right back." She whispered lovingly.

She then left the hospital to pick up their daughter. While she was gone Gray sat down in a chair next to the bed not once taking his eyes off of the boy. He just couldn't believe that he was right. He had been so scared that he had been wrong and that he would have to go through life never knowing what happened to his son but now he had found him and as God as his witness he would never lose him again.


	21. Chapter 21

As they prepared for the trial, Erza figured that the odds would be better in Natsu's favor if he both he and his wife were an analyzed by a psychiatrist. So she called up her old friend to Dr. Mirajane Strauss to talk with the both of them. She started with Natsu.

"Tell me about your marriage Mr. Dragneel." She said to him.

"What do you wanna know?" He asked her.

"Well is it a happy marriage? Do you and your wife get along?"

"You heard the police report. I threw her out a window."

"I want to hear what you think."

"We got along fine at first. She comforted me when Lucy and I broke up, when we got married she went out of her way to be a good wife. Always kept the house cleaned and had food on the table. She'd kiss me before we went to bed."

"What's changed Natsu?"

"She's become more angry and irritated. I have to be very careful about what I say and what I do."

"And why is that?"

"Because if I make her angry she'll..." He hesitated before answering. He found this to be so humiliating.

"Mr. Dragneel what will she do if you make her angry? You can tell me." Dr. Strauss said.

"She'll hit me." He admitted. "She'll hit me, she'll kick me, she'll beat me."

"Have you ever hit her back?"

"No."

"Have you ever caused her any physical pain before that night?"

"No."

"Why not? I'm sure the way she beats all the time must make you very angry."

"It does but it wouldn't be right of me to hit a woman. It would be cowardly, besides it's my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"So what do you do when she beats you?"

"I just let her do it and wait for her to stop. I deserve what she does to me."

"But something changed the other night, didn't it? She didn't something that finally made you snap."

"Yes she did."

"What did she do?"

"She hit my daughter and she probably would have done worse if I hadn't of stepped in."

"Mr. Dragneel tell me about your daughter? What kind of child is she?"

"She's very sweet, cheerful, she always has a smile on my face. She's very wild, much like I was at her age."

"Does she ever make you mad?"

"Sometimes. Typically when she doesn't listen to me."

"Do you ever hit her?"

"No! Never! I love her. I've loved her since the day I held her in my arms at the hospital seven years ago. I don't think there's anyone in my entire life who I love more than her. That's why I attacked my wife. I'm a man, I'm a big strong man so I can take whatever Touka does to me but she's just a little girl. Beatings like that could kill someone like Nashi."

"What's your wife's relationship with your daughter?"

"They seem to get along, she tends to push Nashi a little hard sometimes. She would get angry at her over some of the most ridiculous things."

"Like what?"

"A spilled cup of juice, a toy left in the backyard, an incorrect answer on her homework. She had high expectations for Nashi."

"Don't all parents?"

"Yes but nothing she did seemed to be good enough for my wife. Straight A's were the only things she would accept. She would be real snippy if Nashi got a B. Sometimes I think Touka forget that Nashi's just a kid."

"Mr. Dragneel do you believe that your wife loves you and your daughter?"

"She says that she does all the time."

"But do you believe her when she tells this?"

"I honestly don't know. I think she does love us but I don't know if it's the kind of love a wife and mother should have for her family."

"I see."

After his session she went to speak with Touka.

"Tell me about your husband Mrs. Dragneel." She said.

"What do you wanna know?" She asked.

"Well for starters do you ever hit him?"

"No but if I did he definitely deserved it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's a horrible husband."

"What makes him so horrible?"

"He never puts me first. Everything else in his life always comes before me. His job, his friends, that slut Lucy, I'm not important to him."

"Why did attack you the other night?"

"I don't know. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm the perfect wife. I'm more loyal to him than anyone else he knows. I've never cheated on him."

"Your husband claims he's never cheated on you either."

"He's lying. I know he's having an affair with his old girlfriend."

"You truly believe that?"

"Yes I do and I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't the first time he cheated on me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well he spends a lot of time helping out his best friend's wife especially after she got pregnant. Makes me wonder who the real father is."

"You think he had affair with his best friend's wife? Isn't that a bit far fetched?"

"No. All the women in his want to take him from me, his trampy ex, his friend's wife, even my own child is trying to take him from me."

"You think your daughter is trying to steal your husband? Your seven year old daughter?"

"She's ungrateful, deceitful, and selfish just like her father. It wouldn't come as a shock to me at all. I don't know why she's more important to him than I am. I'm the reason he has her in the first place so why should I play second fiddle to her?"

When that session ended she went to speak with Erza about her conclusion on the two.

"So what do you think?" Erza asked her.

"Mr. Dragneel exhibits all signs of an abuse vicitm." Mirajane said. "He's ashamed of what he has to go through and he blames himself for the abuse."

"What about his wife?"

"I think she may have narcissistic personality disorder. She has an excessive need for admiration, disregard for others' feelings, an inability to handle any criticism, and a sense of entitlement. She wants him all to herself and she thinks that pretty much everyone is trying to take him from her. Even her child."

"She's jealous of her own daughter?"

"Apparently."

"Do you believe that she's the abuser not him?"

"Without a doubt. She wants to be the only person Natsu loves and she wants him to disregard everyone else in his life."

"If she loves him so much why is she abusing him? Why is she trying to get him sent to jail?

"It's a narcissistic kind of love. In other words she'd rather see him destroyed than love anyone other than her. If she can't have him no one can."

"What about the kid? Why does she want custody of their daughter if she views her as rival?"

"My theory is she views Nashi as nothing more than a means to an end. She used her pregnancy to pressure Natsu into marrying her and she knows how much he loves that child. She knows that if she just holds on to Nashi, Natsu will never leave her."

"So she is a psycho. Well I don't need any further convincing. She's going down."

"Good luck, people like her are hard to prove guilty. She's very manipulative."

"Well so am I."


	22. Chapter 22

The trial was held on a Tuesday. Erza was representing Natsu in court but the prosecutor Kagura Mikazuchi a straw feminist who had never lost a single case. She would no doubt prove to be a great challenge. The Judge was Makarov Dreyar, one of the most respected and honorable justices that had ever been known in the court system. While he found all crimes to be unacceptable, abuse was one that he found to be especially heinous and wouldn't be too lenient on. If Natsu was found guilty he would be screwed.

"Tell us Mr. Dragneel have you ever raised a hand to your wife before the incident?" Erza asked Natsu when he was on the stand.

"No." Natsu answered.

"Has she ever raised a hand to you or physically harmed you?"

He hesitated before answering.

"Yes she has."

"And would you mind telling the court what reasons your wife had for physically harming you?"

"Sometimes she would do it when I made plans with my friends without her permission, sometimes when I gave our daughter a gift or treat when my wife didn't think she deserved it, but it was mostly when she thought I was cheating on her."

"And during all those times she was beating you, you never once fought back?"

"Not until she went after our daughter."

"Thank you Mr. Dragneel."

Erza sat down, allowing Kagura to rise up and ask her questions.

"You say that before that night you never once raised a hand to your wife? Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Then how do you explain these." Kagura pulled out photographs of scars on Touka's back and legs.

"Objection!" Erza cried. "Those were from the accident. Not admissible."

"No your honor. I had a specialist examine her body, these were made years before the accident."

"I'll allow it." Makarov said.

"So Mr. Dragneel if you never raised a hand to your wife before that night where did these come from?"

Natsu looked at the photographs. Horror and disgust filled his eyes along with disbelief and shock.

"I didn't do this." He said. "I swear I didn't. When did you take these?"

"Yes or no is all I want. Did you do anything to her that would have left these scars?"

"No! This is crazy! What reason would I have for hurting my wife besides defending my child?!"

"What other reason? Interesting you mentioned that because that brings up our next question. Mr. Dragneel is it true that before you married your wife you were in a relationship with another woman? A Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Objection! What does this have do with anything?" Erza cried.

"Indeed Miss Mikazuchi." Makarov said. "How does this relate to the case at hand?"

"Believe me your honor, it plays a big part in motive." Kagura answered.

"What?" Natsu said.

"Mr. Dragneel is it true that you've been spending some time with your ex girlfriend?"

"Yes but I don't-"

"Why is that?"

"Well we were friends before we started dating. Now that we had gotten past our negative feelings for each other, we decided to renew our friendship."

"Friendship? Is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

"I hope this is going somewhere Miss Mikazuchi." Makarov said losing his patients.

"It is your honor." She turned to Natsu. "Mr. Dragneel do you recall what you did October 5th of last year?"

"Yes I was at an Oktoberfest with my friend Gray."

"Do you recall what you said that night?"

"No not really. I was drunk."

"Well I've heard from not only your wife but witnesses from that festival who claim that you said you missed and still loved your ex girlfriend Lucy Heartfilia. That your wife made you miserable and that you wished that you could just be rid of her."

Lucy happened to be there and when she heard this she was shocked. As was Erza because this would definitely make the case way more diffcult. Touka just sat there with a smug look on her face. As if she already knew that she was going to win this case.

"Do you recall saying those words?" Kagura asked.

"I was drunk. I didn't know what I was saying!" Natsu argued.

"Do you recall saying those words?"

Natsu looked down at hands in shame.

"Yes." He admitted without looking up to face her.

"Be honest Mr. Dragneel you never did get over Miss Heartfilia did you?"

"Objection!" Erza cried again.

"Sustained." Makarov said.

"Withdrawn your honor." Kagura said. "I have reason to believe that Mr. Dragneel's motive for the abuse he inflicted upon his wife was so that he could drive her away and reunite with his old girlfriend."

"Ridiculous!" Erza said.

"Order!" Makarov said. "Mr. Dragneel you may leave the bench, court is adjourned, counselors meet me in my office."

When everyone left the courthouse the two attorneys met with the judge in his office.

"Your honor this motive she's come up with is ludicrous." Erza said. "What basis does she have besides the fact that my client said some words under the influence of too much alcohol?"

"How about the fact that his daughter is currently living with his ex girlfriend?" Kagura said.

"Is that true Miss Scarlet?" Makarov asked.

"Yes your honor but it wasn't my client who left the child in her care. He left his daughter in the care of his best friend Gray Fullbuster and his wife but they turned her over to Miss Heartfilia because Mrs. Fullbuster had a baby and they're now in a legal case of their own."

"How do they know Miss Heartfilia?"

"Miss Heartfilia was Mrs. Fullbuster's friend long before she even met Mr. Dragneel. It had nothing to do with their past relationship."

"Can they testify for that?"

"Yes your honor."

"Alright. Call them in to testify tomorrow and I want the child brought in as well."

"Your honor Mrs. Dragneel doesn't want her daughter to be put through the pressure of a trial." Kagura said. "Surely you can understand how cruel that is."

"Perhaps but I know of an act much crueler than that. Leaving her in the care of a parent who would abuse her to death. Both of your clients claim that the other party tried to physically harm their child. Now either one of them is telling the truth or they're both lying but there's only one witness who can tell us for sure. "

"But your honor-"

"I will not allow child abuse to take place if I can prevent it and if putting that little girl on the stand keeps her from being a punching bag for one of her parents then so be it. I expect her to be brought in tomorrow at eight."

He then dismissed them from his office.

"You know Kagura I've always respected you and your work but putting my client's personal feelings on display on that. That was low." Erza said to Kagura as they were leaving the courthouse.

"I'm just doing whatever it takes to put a wife beater away." Kagura said. "I can't believe you're actually defending this guy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You counsel battered women and yet you would defend a man who beats his wife?"

"If I believed that he was a wife beater I wouldn't be representing him."

"Your client is scum."

"And yours is out of her damn mind."

"You saw the scars Erza."

"And you should see the ones on my client. They're way worse than what that psycho has."

"Do you honestly believe that he never once hit her before that night?"

"I believe it with every fiber of my being. I may not know where those scars came from now but I will find out before tomorrow." Erza declared. "I'm not going to hold any ill will toward you for this Kagura because you're only doing your job and you still have my deepest respects."

"Same to you Erza."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

The two attorneys then parted ways.


	23. Chapter 23

When the time came for the D.N.A test, Gray and Juvia waited with baited breath. Deep down they were absolutely terrified that the test would be wrong and that Ciel would not be their son. The poor couple wouldn't be able to bear it if he wasn't theirs.

While waiting for the results to come back, Jellal had arrested both Giles and Mary Hughes for child abuse and attempted murder.

"Whatever that brat told you it's all made up in his head!" Giles said when Jellal came into interrogate him. "He's always been a liar!"

"The scars say otherwise Mr. Hughes." Jellal said. "The scars he's sustained from years of abuse and the broken ribs. Doctors will testify in court that it was no accident that caused them. You beat that boy within an inch of his life. You tried to kill him."

"The little bastard deserved it."

"No child deserves that!" Jellal said slamming his fist on to the interrogation table which scared Giles a little. "You're a real piece of crap Hughes! And I hope they throw away the key! You're going away for child abuse, attempted murder, and kidnapping!"

"Kidnapping? What the hell are you talking about?! I didn't kidnap anyone!"

"So you're denying kidnapping Ciel from his biological parents?"

"What are you talking about? Are you saying the bastard's not mine?"

"Mr. Hughes we have reason to believe that Ciel is actually a child who was abducted from his parents seven years ago."

"And you think Ciel is that kid?"

"We've already done a D.N.A test on Ciel and the couple who's child was stolen. I have no doubt that the results will come back as a perfect match which will prove he is the missing child in question and that you and your wife kidnapped him."

"That crazy bitch!" Giles shouted when he finally put the pieces together. "Okay I admit it! I never liked the punk and I did rough him up but I didn't take him! I didn't even want him to begin with!"

"Is that right?"

"Yeah! Look eight years ago I was thinking of leaving Mary because well... She's nuts. We separate, she calls me one night and says she's pregnant, I call her bluff. Then one year later she shows up on my doorstep with a screaming brat, claiming it's mine, and threatening to make me pay child support if we're not a family."

"So you actually thought Ciel was yours?"

"I had my doubts but every time I mentioned it Mary threatened to take me to court and I wasn't going to risk that."

"Let me get this straight. You played no part in kidnapping him?"

"No way. I never wanted kids and I only stayed with that lunatic so I wouldn't have to pay child support."

Giles Hughes was a scum bag. He was lower than scum which was why Jellal believed him. He actually believed this boil on humanity hated children so much that he would never actually try to get one into his care. Which meant that Mary was the one he should be talking to about the abduction.

He interrogated her right after he was done with Giles.

"What did you take him Mary?" He asked her.

"Take who?"

"Why did you take Winter from his parents?"

"I don't know a Winter."

"Yes you do! Winter is the one year old boy you snatched seven years ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about. The only boy in my life is my son Ciel."

"He's not your son Mary and the D.N.A test that's been taken on him will prove that. Not to mention we have your medical records that show you had a hysterectomy four years before Ciel was born."

"Those records are false!"

"You wish. Your sister has them and gave them to me."

"They're doctored! Coco never wanted me to have a child! She doctored those records! She's setting me up!"

"Wow, trying to pin this whole thing on the one person who cares about you. That's low and not a very smart thing to do."

"She doesn't care about me! No one does! Only Giles cares about me!"

"Right and yet he was going to leave you."

"He didn't leave me!"

"He tried to but you found a way to stop him didn't you? Scaring him into thinking that he'd have to pay child support. Quite a gamble. Lucky he was stupid enough to believe Ciel was his huh?"

"Ciel is his!"

"D.N.A doesn't lie Mary."

Mary became quiet for a moment and started thinking. Then she decided to change her story.

"So he's adopted."

"Nice try. I spoke to all the adoption agencies you went to. They all rejected your request to adopt. No one in their right mind would ever give you a baby so you took one."

"You don't understand! He didn't belong with that woman! She threw him away! She didn't want him!"

"Oh please you're not seriously trying to pull that are you? I have plenty of witnesses who said that Mrs. Fullbuster loved that child above everything else in her life. Probably more than any mother ever could love a child and you broke her heart when you took him away!"

"That's not true! She didn't want him! I was a far better mother than she was! He's mine! I fed him, I clothed him-"

"You treated him like crap! You're so desperate to have a baby that you steal him from parents who love him and give him to your husband to abuse! Leaving his parents to never stopping wondering if he's dead or not! You tortured him and his parents for seven years! Just what kind of a sick monster are you?!"

"I needed that child okay?! Giles was going to leave me! I was desperate!"

"Well listen lady, you're never going to see that child again."

"You can't take him from me."

"Sure I can. I already have. That boy is going back to his real parents who thought he was dead and you are going to rot behind bars for the rest of your miserable life."

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"You can't seriously believe that. Because if you do then you're crazier than I thought lady."

"Where's my husband?"

"Waiting for his lawyer. Although I don't think you really want to see him right now. He was pretty pissed when he found out you tricked him into fatherhood."

And without another word Jellal left the interrogation room and allowed the police to lock her in a cell.


	24. Chapter 24

The next day the D.N.A test results came back and Jellal went to break the news to Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster.

"Well?" Gray asked when Jellal arrived.

"It's a perfect match." He told them. "Ciel is your biological son."

"Oh thank God." Juvia said trying so hard not to break down in tears of relief.

"When do we get him?" Gray asked.

"Tonight but a word of advice. Take things slow with him. This whole thing will be a complete shock to him."

"He doesn't know yet?"

"No. He's still recovering from his injuries and I think it would be best if I explained this to him."

"Why you?"

"Be honest Mr. Fullbuster, do you think you or your wife can explain this calmly and without getting too emotional?"

When neither one of them replied, it all but confirmed what he thought.

"I'm going down there to tell him what's going on and then I'll bring home to you two."

"You'll be gentle with him right?" Juvia asked.

"Of course."

With that said Jellal went down to the foster home where Ciel was staying. He sat with the boy in a private room so he could talk to him.

"How are you feeling Ciel?" He asked gently.

"My stomach still hurts but I'm okay." He said

"That's good to hear."

"Am I...Am I living here now?"

"No. Today I'm taking you home."

"Oh no! No! I can't go back there! They'll kill me if I go back there!"

"Now calm down. You're not going back to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes."

"I'm not?"

"No."

"But you said you were taking me home."

"That's right."

"I'm confused."

"Ciel let me ask you something. Do you know what biological parents are?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Do you know the difference between biological parents and adopted parents?"

"Uh-huh. Adopted parents take care of a baby that they didn't make and biological parents are basically the parents who make the baby...I don't know how that works exactly but that's how it is. Am I wrong?"

"No. You're correct. You're a very smart boy."

"Really? My mom thinks I'm stupid."

"Ciel the woman who raised you, Mrs. Hughes did a very bad thing to you."

"Tell me something I don't know. She did something bad to me everyday of my life."

"This is different. This happened a long time ago. You don't remember because you were a baby when this happened."

"What did she do?"

"Let me explain this way. Ciel did Mr. and Mrs. Fullbuster ever mention having a son to you?"

"Yes but they lost him."

"But do you know how they lost him?"

"No."

"Seven years ago someone took their son away from them when he was only a year old and that person took two other things as well. A blue blanket that Mrs. Fullbuster made for him and a toy penguin that Mr. Fullbuster gave him."

"What are you trying to say?"

"We took some tests Ciel. The people who raised you are not your biological parents. Your teacher and her husband are your birth parents."

Ciel became very silent. His agitated and confused appearance became one of shock and apprehension. It was like he had just woken up from some dream only to be told that it was real.

"You mean to tell me that my teacher is my mom?"

"Yes. I know this is a lot to take in."

"Yeah right. I don't understand any of this. How could she be my mom? And if she and Mr. Fullbuster are my parents then how did I end up with those two? Did they give away? Didn't they want me?"

"Of course they did. They didn't give you away. You were taken from them by Mrs. Hughes. She wanted to keep her husband from leaving her so she took away from your real mother and father."

"This...This is a joke right? I mean...This just doesn't make sense."

"Ciel I know this is all so confusing and even a little scary but believe me when I say that your real parents loved you very much and they were heartbroken when they lost you. They've always wanted you. They still do."

"Am I going to live with them now?"

"Yes."

"I...I just don't know what to think off all this."

"It's going to be okay. I'm gonna help you and so are they." Jellal assured him. "You know they really wanna see you. I told them that I would bring you to their house tonight. Is that okay?"

"Yes it's okay. Do I gotta hug them?"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"Alright."

He got in the car with Jellal and was taken to the Fullbuster house. Before letting Ciel inside, Jellal reminded Gray and Juvia that Ciel was shook up about this and that he needed some adjusting so they shouldn't rush anything. They agreed to take things slow.

When Ciel walked in his parents just looked at him. It took all their will power not to just break down crying and hold him.

"We have your room all ready for you." Gray said trying so hard to keep it together. "It's upstairs and it's across from the baby's room. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine." Ciel said.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Juvia asked.

"No thanks."

"I'll help you carry your bags upstairs." Gray picked up Ciel's suitcase while Juvia and Ciel followed him up the stairs and into the bedroom they had specially made for him.

"I know how much you love art so I bought you a lot of sketch books and how to sculpt books." Juvia said. "I hope you like them."

"Thank you." The boy said.

"Ciel."

"Uh-huh."

"Can we...Can we call you Winter?"

"Honey I don't think he's ready for that yet." Gray said.

"Oh I'm sorry. You're probably so shook up about all this. We'll leave you alone so you can get some rest and think and maybe a few days later we can-"

Ciel dropped his backpack and ran to hug Juvia. He hugged her so tightly and started to cry. He cried and cried. He cried for all the abuse he suffered, he cried for all his loneliness, and he cried for all the love he had been denied for seven years. Juvia held him and rocked him and whispered to him that everything was okay just like she did when he was a baby. Gray sat next to them on the floor and gently rubbed his son's head. When the poor thing finally wore himself out from crying so much they tucked him into bed with his blanket and penguin. It was hours before they could finally bring themselves to leave the room.


	25. Chapter 25

Ring-ring!

"Hello?" Lucy said answering the phone. "Oh hi Juvia what's going on...No way...No way! Are you serious?!...Oh my God that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!...Yes of course I'll tell Natsu. Oh he'll be so happy! News like this are just what he needs to give him hope!...Oh...Oh that sounds nice...Yeah I'll be there and so will Nashi...Yes I'll kiss her for you...Uh-huh... Goodbye."

She hung up the phone and gave a small cry of joy.

"What's going on?" Nashi asked when she heard the cry. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no dear it's nothing. It's just that something great has happened to your Uncle Gray and your Auntie Juvia."

"What?"

"I'll explain it to you later. Right now we need to get you to school. Go get your bag."

"I heard you on the phone. Are you going to see my daddy today?"

"Yes I am."

"Can you give him this?" She asked while holding up a piece of paper. Lucy took the paper and smiled at what was on it.

"Of course I will."

"I made it just for him. Do you think he'll like it?"

"He'll love it."

After Lucy took Nashi to school she drove straight down to visit Natsu.

"Sorry that I came to see you so early in the morning Natsu but I just couldn't wait to tell you." She said when they were finally allowed to meet and talk.

"Tell me what?" He asked before yawning.

"Something wonderful has happened. Wonderful and amazing! It's a miracle really!"

"What? What is? Don't keep me in the dark woman!"

"Gray and Juvia found their son."

"What?" He said not sure that he had heard her correctly.

"Yes. That little boy in Juvia's class, he's Winter."

"Are you serious?" Natsu said trying to contain his rising joy. "You're not pulling my leg right? Because I love a good joke now and then but not like this."

"No. The D.N.A tests confirmed it. He's theirs. Their son is alive and he's come home to them."

He started to laugh then excitedly hugged Lucy and spun her around excitedly. The two of them were just overwhelmed with happiness and relief for their best friends who had been suffering for so long.

"My God that's the best news I've heard in months."

"Gray wanted to tell you himself but right now neither he or Juvia can even think about leaving that boy alone so they asked me to tell you."

"No. No I understand. If it was me I'd be the same way."

"After Winter's adjusted to things they're going to have a party to celebrate. It's kind of like a late birthday for him since they didn't get celebrate on the actual date. We've been invited."

"I don't know if I'm allowed to go."

"Why don't you ask Erza to talk to them about letting you come? I'm sure she can work something out."

"Will Nashi be at the party?"

"Yes they invited her too."

"Then I have to go to that party. I know I'm not supposed to have any contact with Nashi pending the trial but I have to see my little girl. I just have to."

"Again just talk to Erza. Believe me if anyone can help you with this it's her."

"I still can't believe you got her represent me and I can't believe that you're helping through all this. Especially after what I did to you."

"We all make mistakes Natsu. You've made some stupid decisions but you're a good person and you don't deserve to go to jail."

"So you really believe that I'm innocent? That I actually didn't abuse my wife?"

"If I did do you really think I would help you like this?"

"No but what I don't understand is why are you doing this for me Lucy? I mean it's not like I've done anything to deserve your help or your faith in me."

"It's because for many years you've been my friend and that in itself is a tremendous thing. You've always been very kind and loyal. I could never ask for a better friend."

"Thanks."

She looked down at her feet in a very shy manner.

"And maybe...Maybe it's because deep down I still love you."

She didn't face him but if she did she'd see that his cheeks had turned burning red. He opened his mouth to tell her something but he was interrupted by the guard coming back to cut their visit.

"Times up Miss Heartfilia." The guard said.

"Alright." She told him before turning back to Natsu. "I'll be back to visit you when I can okay?"

"Okay." He said.

"Good. Oh! I almost forgot." She pulled a folded up piece of paper from her purse and handed it to him. "Nashi made it for you."

After giving it to him she left. Natsu unfolded the piece of paper and saw that it was drawing of him, Nashi, and Happy playing at the park together. He smiled as he looked at it. At the moment he was feeling very bittersweet. On one hand he missed his daughter so much. Words could not begin to describe how much he wanted to scoop up his little girl into his arms and hug her with all the love he had. But on the other hand he was very happy for Gray. For seven years he had watched his best friend and his wife suffer over the loss of their first child. Watching poor Gray drink his sorrows away and listening to Juvia scream and cry from nightmares about their son whenever he brought Gray home at night. Finally the nightmare was over for them.

Now he just needed to get out of his own nightmare and everything would be perfect. Well maybe not perfect because when you get down to it nothing is perfect but they can be close to perfect. So if he could get out of this then everything would be close to perfect.


	26. Chapter 26

The next day Gray and Juvia were called to the trial to testify on Natsu's behalf.

"Mr. Fullbuster how long have you known my client?" Erza asked him.

"Since grade school." Gray answered.

"And during all those years that you've known him has he ever come off as someone who would violently attack women or children?"

"No."

"Can you tell me what kind of relationship he had with his wife from your point of view?"

"Well I don't really know what to say about that. I guess they seemed stable. Of course I knew they had problems, what married couple doesn't? But I never thought abuse."

"What do you think about his wife?"

"She acted sweet and she smiled a lot. Smiled a lot but never really happy."

"Could you explain?"

"Well she always seemed to be complaining about Natsu. It was like everything he did seemed to upset her."

"Did you ever see her hurt him physically?"

"No."

"Did you ever see Natsu raise a hand to his wife?"

"No."

"What about his daughter?"

"No way. The man would rather shoot himself than do anything to hurt that kid."

"Thank you Mr. Fullbuster."

She sat down and then Kagura stood up to ask her questions.

"Mr. Fullbuster is it true that you have gotten into physical fights with Mr. Dragneel numerous times?" She asked.

"Yes but it's-"

"So he's a violent man?"

"It's not like that. We're just messing around when we do that. Having some fun."

"Fun? Really? Mr. Fullbuster do you recall April 15th of last year?"

Gray gulped before answering. He knew very well where she was going with this.

"Yes." He answered.

"Will you please tell the court what happened on that day?"

Gray looked at the judge.

"Do I have to?" He asked.

"Yes Mr. Fullbuster."

Gray gave Natsu a look that apologized for what he was about to say. Natsu gave him a look of complete understanding. One that let him know that he wouldn't be angry with him for telling the truth.

"On the night of April 15th of last year Natsu and I went out for drinks. He got really drunk and wanted to drive home. I tried to take his keys and we got into a big fight."

"And what were the results of that fight?" Kagura asked.

"I...I got hurt."

"How hurt? Was it just a few harmless scratches? Or maybe a bruise or two?"

"No." Gray sighed. "He...He broke my arm."

The crowd gasped in horror.

"But it was an accident!" Gray protested. "He was gripping my arm and he slipped! It caused him to bend my arm back and-"

"No further questions." Kagura said.

"The witness may step down." Makarov said.

After him came his wife Juvia. Gray didn't like the idea of her testifying. Especially since she had just given birth to one of their children and soon afterward being reunited with another. He thought a trial would be too much stress on her but she insisted that she wanted to help Natsu.

"Natsu is one of the most gentle men I had ever known." Juvia said. "He wouldn't hurt a fly. I've seen him play with children and he absolutely adores his daughter."

"But he broke your husband's arm." Erza said. "Did that not make you frightened of him?"

"No. It was an accident and that was the only time he ever did any real damage to my husband or anyone else. And he was so terribly remorseful about it."

"I see. Would you trust him to look after your children?"

"Yes. I would."

"What about his wife?"

"I haven't known Touka as long as him so I don't really know if I could trust her."

"What are your thoughts on her?"

"Um...Well I...She acted polite and neighborly."

"Did you ever see her act violent toward her husband or child?"

"No."

"Did you ever see her do anything that might suspect abuse?"

"No. I didn't suspect anything wrong with her except when..." She trailed off a little.

"Except when what Mrs. Fullbuster?"

"It was months ago and maybe I should have mentioned this sooner I just didn't know what I to do when it happened."

"When what happened?"

"My husband was called away on a trip to speak with an important client regarding a painting. On one of the nights he was gone I heard noises outside and got scared so I asked Natsu to come over and stay the night. It wasn't just the two of us, he brought his daughter too. Nothing happened. Anyway some time later I found out that I was pregnant again and when I announced it Touka confronted me the day after."

"About what?"

"She...She accused me of having an affair with Natsu and that he was the father of my child."

"If you'll pardon me for asking, were any of her accusations true?"

"No. I love my husband and Natsu is his best friend. We'd never betray him like that. But when I denied it she started screaming at me. She called me a liar and a whore."

"Liar!" Touka screamed. "I never said that!"

"Counsellor control your client." Makarov said sternly.

"So she insulted you and screamed at you." Erza continued. "Is that all she did?"

"No." Juvia answered. "She tried to punch me but I ran back inside my house. She banged on the door for hours, screaming and demanding that I get an abortion or she would make me suffer. She finally left when I threatened to call the police."

"Did you tell anyone about this?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Things were going so well lately. My husband was getting promoted and we were having another baby after trying for so long. I thought this would ruin things and...And I was afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Of Touka. I had never seen her like that. It was like she was a completely different human being and I thought...I thought she would hurt me if I said anything."

"You filthy liar! You know that's not true!" Touka screamed again. "I never did any of that! I'll kill you you whore!"

The crowd let out another gasp of horror.

"Order! Order!" Makarov demanded as Kagura tried to restrain her client. "One more outburst like that Mrs. Dragneel and you're out of here!"

When that was settled, Juvia got down from the stand and went to her husband who held her comfortingly.

"We'll have a brief recess before calling the next witnesses." The judge said.


End file.
